Wikicars - User contributions [en]

Dodge Aries

2008-03-22T12:52:03Z

99.141.57.105: /* 1982 */

De Lorean DMC-12

2008-03-22T12:44:49Z

99.141.57.105: /* De Lorean in popular culture */

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:Delorean brochure3 81.jpg|300px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''De Lorean DMC-12'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[De Lorean]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| aka
| "The Delorean"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1981 - 1983 approx. 8,583 units 2008 -
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| [[Sports car]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| 2-door [[coupe]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 166 in (4216 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 73.1 in (1857 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 44.9 in (1140 mm) doors closed 77.2 in (1961 mm) doors open
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 95 in (2413 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 2712 lb (1230 kg)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| 5-speed manual, RWD 3-speed automatic, RWD
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 2.8 litre (2849 cc) ''[[PRV engine|PRV]]'' [[V6]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 130 hp (97 kW) @ 5500 rpm 153 lb-ft (208 N·m) @ 2750 rpm
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Similar
| {{{similar (competition)}}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Designer
| [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]]
|}

The '''De Lorean DMC-12''' is an Irish [[sports car]] which was manufactured by the [[De Lorean Motor Company]] from 1981 through 1983. It is most commonly known as ''the'' De Lorean, as it was the only model  ever produced by the company. The DMC-12 featured [[gull-wing door]]s with a brushed stainless steel body. It was famously featured in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

The first prototype appeared in March 1977, and production officially began in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on January 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. During its production, several aspects of the car were changed, such as the hood (bonnet) style, wheels and interior. Around 8,583 DMC-12s were made before production fizzled in late 1982, with final production taking place in early 1983. Today, about six thousand DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist.

Despite being produced in Northern Ireland, DMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market. Therefore, all of the production models were [[left-hand drive]] (designed to be driven on the right side of the road), limiting its popularity in the British Isles, where traffic travels on the left. Only 23 right-hand drive De Loreans were ever produced, these cars were converted from left-hand drive models by a specialized company in the UK.

==History==

In October 1976, the first prototype De Lorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and designer (formerly chief engineer at [[Pontiac]]). Originally, the car's [[Rear-engine design|rear-mounted]] power plant was to be a [[Citroën]] [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]], but was replaced with a French-designed and produced [[PRV engine|PRV]] ([[Peugeot]]-[[Renault]]-[[Volvo]]) [[fuel injection|fuel injected]] V-6 because of the poor [[fuel efficiency|fuel economy]] of the rotary engine, an important issue at a time of world-wide fuel shortages. Collins and De Lorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would contribute to the light-weight characteristics of the car while presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which De Lorean had purchased patent rights, would eventually be found to be unsuitable for mass production. The car was a great work of art.

These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer [[Colin Chapman]], founder and owner of [[Lotus|Lotus]]. Chapman replaced most of the dubious material and manufacturing techniques with those currently being employed by Lotus. The original [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] body design was left mostly intact, as were the distinctive stainless steel outer skin and [[gull-wing door]]s. (Giugiaro had also designed the [[Lotus Esprit]].)

The DMC-12 would eventually be built in a factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, a neighbourhood only a few miles from Belfast City Centre. Construction on the factory began in October 1978, and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to start in 1979, engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until early 1981. By that time, the unemployment rate was high in Northern Ireland and local residents lined up to apply for jobs at the factory. The production personnel were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the best equipment available. Most quality issues were solved by 1982 and the cars were available with a five-year, 50,000-mile (80 000 km) warranty program.

The De Lorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following [[John De Lorean]]'s arrest in October of that year. He was later found innocent of all crimes, but it was too late for the DMC-12. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC-12s on the production line were completed by Consolidated Industries (now known as Big Lots, part of Kapac Co.).

A total of about 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_vins.htm DeLorean FAQ, Historic Information - DeLorean Production Numbers]</ref> Almost a fifth of these were produced in October 1981. Very few cars were produced between February and May 1982, although serious production returned in August that year. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinrat.pdf DMC-12 Estimated Production Volumes by Month (PDF) by Knut Grimsrud]</ref> The last DMC-12 was assembled on December 24, 1982, and the final "model year" was 1983.

==Construction==
The DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

===Body===
The body of the DMC-12 was designed by [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] and clad entirely in brushed SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_finish.htm DeLorean FAQ - Body Finish and Composition from Owners Manual]</ref> Painted De Loreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the factory. Several hundred fiberglass-bodied "black car" DMC-12s were produced to train workers, although these were never marketed. Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can reportedly be removed with a scouring pad.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_body.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Stainless Steel Body Maintenance]</ref> The stainless steel panels are fixed to a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, fiberglass) [[monocoque]] underbody. The underbody is affixed to a double-Y frame chassis, derived from the Lotus Esprit platform.

It must be noted that the unpainted stainless body creates challenges during restoration of the cars. In traditional automotive body repair, the panel is repaired to be as original ("straight") as possible and imperfections are sculpted back to form with body filler like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the filler will be hidden by the car's paint (for example, most new cars have filler hiding the seam where the roof meets the quarter panel). With an unpainted stainless body, the stainless steel must be reworked to exactly the original shape, contour and grain - which is a tremendously difficult job on regular steel (a dented or bent panel is stretched and a shrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal), let alone stainless. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to adhesion issues. De Lorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired; a prospect which ceased to be practical with the failure of the company.

Another novel feature of the DMC-12 is its [[gull-wing door]]s. The common problem of supporting the weight of gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers with lightweight doors in the [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL]] and an air pump in the [[Bricklin SV-1]], although these designs had structural or convenience issues. The DMC-12 features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts<ref>[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,378,658.WKU.&OS=PN/4,378,658&RS=PN/4,378,658 (U.S. patent# 4,378,658)]</ref>. These torsion bars were manufactured by Grumman Aerospace to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_tech1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Exotic Technology]</ref> These doors only extend 11 inches (264 mm) outside the line of the car, making opening and closing the doors in crowded parking lots relatively easy. Much like the doors fitted to the [[Lamborghini Countach]], the DMC-12 doors featured small cutout windows, because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door panels.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_dims.htm DeLorean FAQ - Vehicle Dimensions from Technical Manual, Workshop Manual]</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_doors.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Door Design]</ref>

===Engine===

The DMC-12 is powered by the [[PRV engine|PRV V6]], developed jointly by [[Peugeot]], [[Renault]], and [[Volvo]]. The engine is derived from the Volvo '''B28F''', fitted with a [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] K-Jetronic [[fuel injection]] system and modified to be mounted in reverse. The PRV is a 90-degree layout, displaces 2.849 L (91 mm bore, 73 mm stroke), and has a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The engine block and heads are cast of light alloy and the engine features [[single overhead camshaft]]s driving two [[poppet valve|valves]] per cylinder. When new, this engine was rated for 130 hp (97 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 153 ft lbf (208 N·m) at 2750 rpm. [[Fuel efficiency]] was said to be 19 mpg US (12 L/100 km, 22.8 mpg Imperial) and unofficial tests largely support this figure.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_spec3.htm DeLorean FAQ - Specifications from ''DeLorean Owners Handbook'']</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_fuel.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Fuel Economy and Octane Requirements]</ref>

Two transmissions were available for the DMC-12: a three-speed [[automatic transmission|automatic]] and a five-speed [[manual transmission]], both with a [[gear ratio|final drive ratio]] of 3.44:1. The manual transmission is a [[Renault 30]] gearbox. Most cars were fitted with manual transmissions. The engine in the DMC-12 is mounted behind the rear axle, much like the [[Volkswagen Beetle|VW Beetle]] and [[Porsche 911]]. The transaxle stretches forward between the axles.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinmix.pdf DeLorean Options Build Mix by Year] (PDF)</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Documents - Early Brochure (Date Unknown)]</ref>

===Suspension===
The underbody and [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Esprit, with a four-wheel [[independent suspension]], [[coil spring]]s, and telescopic [[shock absorbers]]. The front suspension used double wishbones, while the rear was a multi-link setup. In its original development stages, the car is said to have handled quite well. Considering that Lotus's reputation was built largely on the handling prowess of the cars the company produced, the DMC-12's smooth ride wasn't a surprise. Unfortunately, changing U.S. government regulations required modifications to the suspension system and an increase in the vehicle's factory ride height, both of which had adverse effects on the car's handling capabilities.

Steering was [[rack and pinion]], with an overall [[steering ratio]] of 14.9:1, giving 2.65 turns lock-to-lock and a 35 ft (10.67 m) turning circle. DMC-12s were originally fitted with cast alloy wheels, measuring 14 in (356 mm) in diameter by 6 in (152 mm) wide on the front and 15 in (381 mm) in diameter by 8 in (203 mm) wide on the rear. These were fitted with [[Goodyear]] NCT steel-belted radial tires; because the engine is mounted in the very rear of the vehicle, the DMC-12 has a 35%/65% front/rear weight distribution.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_weight.htm DeLorean FAQ - Weight and Balance from Technical manual]</ref>

The DMC-12 features power-assisted [[disc brake]]s on all wheels, with 10 in (254 mm) rotors front and 10.5 in (267 mm) rear.

==Performance==

John De Lorean had originally envisioned that the car would produce somewhere around 200 [[horsepower]], but eventually settled on a 170 horsepower output for the engine. However, stringent US emissions regulations required that parts such as [[catalytic converter]]s be added to the vehicle before it could be sold in that country. Although the new parts qualified the vehicle for sale in the US, they caused serious reductions to power output, to 130 horsepower. The 40-horsepower loss seriously impeded the DMC-12's performance, and when combined with the forced changes to the vehicle's suspension system, the US versions were regarded as disappointing. De Lorean's comparison literature noted that the DMC-12 could achieve 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 8.8 s, which would have been good for the time, but ''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine clocked the car at 10.5 s. However, it's possible that the factory performance numbers were achieved using a European spec car with the 170 horsepower engine.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/docs/doc_11f.gif DeLorean Motor Company - Physical Characteristics of Competitive Cars]</ref>

==Pricing==
New DMC-12s had a suggested retail price of $25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an [[automatic transmission]]); this is equivalent to approximately $52,200 in 2007 dollars. There were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above the list price; however, after the collapse of the De Lorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for under the retail price.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_sales.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Sales and Dealer Experiences]</ref>

The DMC-12 was only available with eight options including automatic transmission ($650); a car cover ($117); floor mats ($84); black textured accent stripes ($87); grey scotch-cal accent stripes ($55); a luggage rack ($269) and a ski-rack adapter. The standard feature list included stainless steel body panels; gull-wing doors with cryogenically-treated torsion bars; leather seats/trim; air conditioning; a high-output stereo system ($450); [[power window]]s, [[power door locks|lock]]s and mirrors; a [[steering wheel]] adjustable for both rake and reach; tinted glass; body side moldings; windshield wipers; and an electric rear window defogger.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc2.htm DeLorean FAQ - Dealer Installed Accessories (20 June 1981)]</ref><ref>[http://www.delorean-owners.org/legend/specs.html DeLorean Owners Association - DeLorean specifications table]</ref>

Prices for DMC-12s vary widely and are dependent upon supply and demand. As of early 2006, a Delorean in good to excellent condition can be had for around $17,000 to $20,000. Mint-condition cars can fetch up to $30,000. There are an estimated 6,000 surviving DMC-12s today. Some of the larger parts carry a steep price tag, such as the fiberglass underbody. Most parts are reasonably priced and readily available.

==Production changes==
Although there were no typical "yearly" updates to the De Lorean, several changes were made to the De Lorean during production. John De Lorean believed that model years were primarily a gimmick used by automobile companies to sell more cars. Instead of making massive changes at the end of the model year, he implemented changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982, and 1983 model years, but with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life of the De Lorean. The most visible of these changes related to the hood style.

===Hood styles===

The original hood of the De Lorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a gas flap to simplify fuel filling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the De Lorean. These cars typically had a locking gas cap to prevent siphoning. In 1981, the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars (although the hood creases stayed). This style was retained well into 1982. Based on production numbers for all three years, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, the company switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gas caps). The final styling for the hood included the addition of a De Lorean logo and the removal of the grooves, resulting in a completely flat hood. All changes to the hood were made not to alter the look of the car, but for a much more practical reason: production was faster with the non-grooved design; as well DMC had problems creating the hoods with the grooves, due to the stainless steel would often crack in the process.

===Other changes===

John DeLorean was 6'4" (193 cm) tall, and he designed the car to comfortably fit someone of his stature. For shorter people, the addition of a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pull straps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles in November 1981. These attach to the existing door handle. Late-model 1981 cars, and all cars from 1982 and 1983, have doors with permanent pull straps attached.

The side bolstering in the De Lorean was originally separate from the main interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piece when entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause the bolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix this problem; cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with the bolster permanently attached.

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest — in the form of an unusable pedal — was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue while driving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a model year. These were not built in to any 1981 vehicles, and were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.

Although the styling of the De Lorean's wheels remained unchanged, the wheels of early-model 1981 vehicles were painted grey. These wheels sported matching grey centre caps with an embossed DMC logo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to a polished silver look, with a contrasting black centre cap. The embossed logo on the centre caps was painted white to add contrast.

In 1981, the De Lorean came stocked with a Craig radio; this was a standard 1980s tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig did not have a built-in clock, one was installed in front of the [[gear shift]]. De Lorean switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982 production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, the standard De Lorean clock was removed at the same time.

The first 2,200 cars produced used a windshield embedded antenna. This type of antenna proved to be inadequate for most motoring needs, so a standard whip antenna was added to the outside of the front right quarter panel. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a hole in the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna was again moved, this time to the rear of the car. Automatic antennas were installed under the grills behind the rear driver's-side window. While giving the reception quality of a whip antenna, these completely disappear from view when not in use.

The small sun visors on the De Lorean have vinyl on one side, and headline fabric on the other side. Originally these were installed such that the vinyl side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they were reversed so that the fabric side would be on the bottom.

The original [[alternator]] supplied with the early production DMC-12s could not provide enough current to supply the car when all lights and electrical options were on; as a result, the battery would gradually discharge, leaving the driver stranded on the road. This happened to De Lorean owner Johnny Carson shortly after he was presented with the vehicle.

==Special DMC-12s==
Several special-edition DMC-12 cars have been produced over the years, including several that were used in the films of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Seven DeLoreans were used and modified with props after purchase to make them look like time travel machines throughout the trilogy. At least three DMC-12s were used in pornographic films that parodied the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

One of several DeLorean prototypes is still in existence, and is currently undergoing a complete restoration at De Lorean Motor Company of Florida. There have also been major finds in the last few years of "pilot cars". These cars, used for testing of the De Lorean, had been thought destroyed. The test car featured on the front cover of Autocar in 1981 announcing the De Lorean to the world was found in 2003 in a barn in Northern Ireland; it is currently undergoing restoration. Production of the De Lorean started at VIN 500. VINs 502 and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin-turbo version of the standard De Lorean PRV-V6 engine. VINs 502 and 530 are undergoing restoration at [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady's] in New York. Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist: it was purchased in the late 1990s by Marc Levy of New Jersey, an enthusiast, who swapped it with his standard De Lorean. There is also another Delorean that in its own right will soon join the ranks of becoming a Legend Car, VIN 570, which is now being converted to a full Legend (reproduction) Car by Chris Nicholson, the new owner.

VIN 500, notable for being the first production De Lorean to roll off the line in 1981, is on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref>[http://www.wrhs.org/cfm/auto/autoimage.cfm?auto_id=173 Crawford Auto Collection - 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe (first Delorean produced)]</ref>

Only 23 right-hand drive models were made for use in the United Kingdom, and as of 2002 these are valued at £25,000 each. <ref>BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1827617.stm ''Back to the futuristic''], 19 February 2002, retrieved 11 December, 2005</ref>

For Christmas 1981, A De Lorean/American Express promotion planned to sell one hundred 24k gold-plated DMC-12s for $85,000 each to its gold card members, but only two were sold. One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to the [[Petersen Automotive Museum]] of Los Angeles. It has a saddle brown interior rather than the stock black/grey interior, and an automatic transmission. <ref>[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ The 24-Karat Gold Plated DeLorean Car]</ref>

The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 is located at the William F. Harrah Foundation/[[National Automobile Museum]] in Reno, Nevada. This car, VIN #4300, is the only one of the three existing gold-plated examples to be equipped with a manual transmission. Like its golden siblings, it is a low-mileage vehicle with only 1,442 miles (2,307 km) on the [[odometer]].<ref>[http://www.automuseum.org/NAM_collections_delorean2.shtml National Automobile Museum - 1981 De Lorean LK Sport Coupe (gold plated)]</ref>

A third gold-plated car exists with 636 miles (1,018 km) clocked up; it carries the VIN plate for the last production De Lorean, #20105.<ref>[http://bigtexas.com/dmc/gold/ Gold Delorean for sale in LaVale, Maryland]</ref> This car was assembled with spare parts that were acquired by American Express. All necessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door. The car was assembled after another door was gold-plated, though the added door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain. The car was first acquired by the winner of a department store raffle. Consolidated International, which owned the department store, had purchased 1,374 DMC-12s during the De Lorean Company's financial troubles, acquiring the remaining stock after the company went into receivership. Now held by a private owner in La Vale, Maryland, the third and last gold-plated De Lorean is currently for sale at the price of $250,000. Both this car and the example in Reno have saddle-brown leather interiors, a color scheme which was intended to become an option on later production cars. However, these two cars were the only ones to be thus equipped from the factory.

==De Lorean today==

De Lorean culture lives on through the existing owners and their passion for the car. Children of the '80s are now able to afford the car that captured their imagination in ''Back To The Future''. A surge in De Lorean interest is evidenced by the cars' eBay availability, and pop-culture references abound.

====Gatherings and communications====
The [http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association], founded in 1983, is the largest international DeLorean group to date. The Association has yearly gatherings followed by great support of DeLorean members all over the world. The group provides a wealth of information to its membership, support and enjoyment for the marque.

Most notably in the United States, owners have gathered bi-annually for the [http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ De Lorean Car Show] which draws people from all over the world to a different location each time. ''Back to the Future'' cast and crew including '''Bob Gale''', '''James Tolkan''', '''[http://www.jeffreyweissman.com/ Jeffrey Weissman]''', and '''[http://www.armaniwells.com/ Claudia Wells]''' have made appearances, and even John De Lorean was known to attend before he died. Besides this main event, local clubs hold events throughout the year featuring driving tours, road rally scavenger hunts, tech sessions and more. Online, the De Lorean owner base keeps in contact using a mailing list called the De Lorean Mailing List or the DML.

====Repair shops====
Keeping the cars on the road are the specialties of the four remaining De Lorean repair shops: [http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company], [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady DeLorean], [http://www.deloreanmotorcenter.com DeLorean Motor Center], and [http://www.deloreanone.com DeLorean One]. These specialty shops service the De Loreans still on the road. The Delorean Motor Company bought the largest remaining stock of original parts from the Kapac corporation. The new DMC (commonly known as "DeLorean Houston", "Houston" or "DMC Texas") is the only place to find some rare parts, though they also sell through the other full service DeLorean shops. Their resources have also allowed some unavailable parts to be produced again, so that replacements for minor parts (such as switches) can now be had for a reasonable price. Overall, obtaining parts is neither difficult nor expensive.

====Magazines====
Along with the resurging interest in the car, new magazine publications have begun to be produced. The De Lorean Car Show has its own magazine that is currently seen as the main publication in the community. DeLorean Car Show Magazine (known just as DCS) is published quarterly by Ken Koncelik. Along with DCS there is Gullwing Magazine and DeLoreans, which is published by the new DMC in Texas. While these publications at times can be costly to purchase, the content is provided by the owner base, which generates more interest.

==De Lorean in popular culture==
When founding his company, John De Lorean negotiated with many celebrities to persuade them to back the new De Lorean car and the company. Johnny Carson, talk show host/comedian, was given a De Lorean and also invested in DMC; other famous owners included Matthew Reilly, Patrick Swayze, Jim Varney, James Bourne, Howard Johnson, and Chevy Chase.

The DMC-12 was featured and mentioned in many films and on television, most notably as the time machine designed by Dr. Emmett Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Brown's rationale for choosing the De Lorean was stated in the first film: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" He also indicates that the stainless steel construction of the automobile is advantageous for the "flux dispersal" of a time machine. In addition to elaborate enhancements for time travel, the fictional car was later modified with flying capabilities and a "Mr. Fusion" (a fictional fusion reactor, which came from the year 2015 and was very small - about the size of a coffee maker).

Six DMC-12s were co-opted for use in the making of the films. For the second and third films, producers replaced the underpowered stock engines in their production cars with [[Porsche]] engines. The ''Back to the Future Part II'' De Lorean was seen as a prop that Amanda Bynes rested on in the movie ''Big Fat Liar''.

In large part due to the popularity of ''Back to the Future'', the DeLorean has been seen in many other contexts as well, including ''The Simpsons'', ''The Wedding Singer'',''The Fairly Oddparents'', ''Monster Garage'', ''Drawn Together'', ''Family Guy'', ''Haker'', ''Get a Life'', ''Matlock'', ''Stargate Atlantis'', ''Eerie Indiana'', ''Donnie Darko'', ''Harvey Birdman'', ''Designing Women'' and also ''Minoriteam''. In most of these films and television shows, actors are seen driving a DMC-12 or mentioning the De Lorean in dialogue. As well, the DeLorean is referenced during a television spot on The Learning Channel as part of their life lesson ad campaign.

The DMC-12 has also been featured in many computer games, most notably in the ''Back To The Future'' games; but also in ''Carmageddon: Splat Pack'' (1997), ''Duke Nukem: Time to Kill'' (1998), ''Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now'' (1998), ''M25 Racer'' (1999), ''Interstate '82'' (featuring a license plate that says "BLOW" a reference to John's cocaine arrest) (1999), ''Vigilante 8: Second Offense'' (1999), ''Resident Evil 3: Nemesis'' (1999), ''Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions'' (2002), ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' (2002) (lookalike, sans gull-wing doors, named "Deluxo"), ''R Racing Revolution'' (2004), ''Gran Turismo 4'' (2005), ''Enthusia Professional Racing'' (2005), ''FlatOut 2'' (2006), ''Redline'' (2006), and ''Scarface: The World is Yours'' (2006) (with scissor doors instead of gull-wing doors, named "Delphine"). It is also downloadable as an add-on car for Midtown Madness 2 in both the original DMC design and the Back to the Future design. Two versions of the DMC-12 from the second "Back To The Future" movies (flying mode and ground mode), (and other back to the future props) are also downloadable for "The Sims" from a popular fan site. In most of these video games, the cars are lookalikes or clones of the De Lorean, though not actually named "De Loreans" or featuring the De Lorean logo, to avoid copyright issues.

==See also==
* [[De Lorean Motor Company]]
* [[John De Lorean]]

==Notes==
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>



==References==
* John Z. De Lorean, Ted Schwarz, ''Delorean'', Zondervan (September, 1985), ISBN 0-310-37940-7
* J Lamm, ''DeLorean Stainless Steel Illusion'', 2nd edition (2003), ISBN 0-9744141-0-7
* R. M. Clarke, ''Delorean 1977–1995 Gold Portfolio'' (December 28 1995), ISBN 1-85520-331-6

==External links==
{{commonscat|De Lorean vehicles}}
*[http://www.deloreanweb.com DeloreanWeb.com] Delorean fan site
*[http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association] Founded in 1983, the Association is the oldest and largest association for DeLorean owners in the world.
*[http://www.ohiodeloreans.com [DeLorean Club of Ohio] with owners of tri-state area,
*[http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company] Official site of DeLorean Motor Company, with facilities located in Texas, Florida, Illinois and Europe.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com/ Northeast DeLorean Motor Club] Large club serving CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DC, VA and other surrounding areas. This club encourages people with little local support to come together for events all through the northeast.
*[http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ DeLorean Car Show] Delorean Car Show (DCS)is a quaterly publication devoted to DeLorean owners and enthusiasts alike. DCS also produces a large DeLorean-centric car show every two years at which all vendors, owners, and enthusiasts converge for a four day event highlighting the DMC-12 automobile.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com The Northeast Delorean Motor Club] An Internet mail list serving owners from the North East Coast of the United States.
*[http://www.deloreans.co.uk/ DeLorean Owners Club UK]
*[http://www.delorean.co.uk Delorean Motor Cars Ltd.] Official site of Delorean Motor Company, UK
*[http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady] The only original DMC dealership & repair shop still in business, W. Sayville, NY
*[http://www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EHistory/DeLorean.html The DeLorean Connection] describes the history of the DMC-12 with respect to the Lotus Esprit.
*[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ Gold DeLorean Car of Texas] describes the history of one of the 24k gold-plated DMC-12s.
*[http://www.entermyworld.com Tamir's Delorean Site] Extensive DMC-12 website.
*[http://www.projectvixen.com Project Vixen] The total restoration of a DeLorean from a basket case to a show winner. Also the home of the DMC internet mailing list combined archives—over 150,000 pages of information from the 1990's until present.
*[http://www.projectdelorean.com Project Delorean] Site chronicles the build up of the first ever Delorean wide-body custom.
*[http://www.socaldeloreanclub.metroairvirtual.com Southern California DeLorean Club] is a local SoCal DMC-12 owner & enthusiast club.
*[http://www.Babbtechnology.com/ The Quintessential DeLorean Website] Extensive information, and an online shop
*[http://www.home.no/delorean/ DeLorean Norge] is a De Lorean club in Norway.
*[http://www.zeta.org.au/~lanceh/delorean/ Delorean Australia] Good list of Aussie DeLorean owners and lists of service centers that have dealt with DMC-12 repairs and services before.
*[http://www.dmcnews.com/ DMC-News The DeLorean Mailing List] is an enthusiast site for DMC-12 owners with extensive model information.
*[http://www.az-d.org/ AZ-D - Arizona DeLorean Club] Fast growing, up and coming club with membership branching out into Las Vegas and Southern California. AZ-D hosts frequent tech events with first hand on site participation by five major DeLorean parts and service vendors. Monthly activities with high membership participation include present, past and future owner enthusiasts.
*[http://www.dmctalk.com/ DMC Talk.com] Forum frequented by many owners with a helpful community and a weath of information on custom projects or repairs.
* [http://www.bttf.com/ BTTF.com] Official ''Back to the Future'' news site and collectibles store.
* [http://markshields.com/bttf-delorean.shtml Mark Shields' DeLorean BTTF Time Machine Replica] Photos and History
* [http://www.Time-Car.com/ Time-Car] Back To The Future DeLorean Time Machine replica for hire.
* [http://www.PADMC.com/ PADMC] Pittsburgh Area DeLorean Maintenance Club.
* [http://www.mm2c.com/files/cars/?CarID=129 Midtown Madness 2 Central] Downloadable Delorean for Midtown Madness 2
* [http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/lifelessons/lifelessons.html?vid=11 TLC Life Lesson #11] TLC Life Lessons TV spot - "where'd you park your DeLorean?"

[[Category:Sports cars]]
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Coupes]]

De Lorean DMC-12

2008-03-22T12:44:15Z

99.141.57.105: /* De Lorean in popular culture */

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:Delorean brochure3 81.jpg|300px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''De Lorean DMC-12'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[De Lorean]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| aka
| "The Delorean"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1981 - 1983 approx. 8,583 units 2008 -
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| [[Sports car]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| 2-door [[coupe]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 166 in (4216 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 73.1 in (1857 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 44.9 in (1140 mm) doors closed 77.2 in (1961 mm) doors open
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 95 in (2413 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 2712 lb (1230 kg)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| 5-speed manual, RWD 3-speed automatic, RWD
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 2.8 litre (2849 cc) ''[[PRV engine|PRV]]'' [[V6]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 130 hp (97 kW) @ 5500 rpm 153 lb-ft (208 N·m) @ 2750 rpm
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Similar
| {{{similar (competition)}}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Designer
| [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]]
|}

The '''De Lorean DMC-12''' is an Irish [[sports car]] which was manufactured by the [[De Lorean Motor Company]] from 1981 through 1983. It is most commonly known as ''the'' De Lorean, as it was the only model  ever produced by the company. The DMC-12 featured [[gull-wing door]]s with a brushed stainless steel body. It was famously featured in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

The first prototype appeared in March 1977, and production officially began in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on January 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. During its production, several aspects of the car were changed, such as the hood (bonnet) style, wheels and interior. Around 8,583 DMC-12s were made before production fizzled in late 1982, with final production taking place in early 1983. Today, about six thousand DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist.

Despite being produced in Northern Ireland, DMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market. Therefore, all of the production models were [[left-hand drive]] (designed to be driven on the right side of the road), limiting its popularity in the British Isles, where traffic travels on the left. Only 23 right-hand drive De Loreans were ever produced, these cars were converted from left-hand drive models by a specialized company in the UK.

==History==

In October 1976, the first prototype De Lorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and designer (formerly chief engineer at [[Pontiac]]). Originally, the car's [[Rear-engine design|rear-mounted]] power plant was to be a [[Citroën]] [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]], but was replaced with a French-designed and produced [[PRV engine|PRV]] ([[Peugeot]]-[[Renault]]-[[Volvo]]) [[fuel injection|fuel injected]] V-6 because of the poor [[fuel efficiency|fuel economy]] of the rotary engine, an important issue at a time of world-wide fuel shortages. Collins and De Lorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would contribute to the light-weight characteristics of the car while presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which De Lorean had purchased patent rights, would eventually be found to be unsuitable for mass production. The car was a great work of art.

These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer [[Colin Chapman]], founder and owner of [[Lotus|Lotus]]. Chapman replaced most of the dubious material and manufacturing techniques with those currently being employed by Lotus. The original [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] body design was left mostly intact, as were the distinctive stainless steel outer skin and [[gull-wing door]]s. (Giugiaro had also designed the [[Lotus Esprit]].)

The DMC-12 would eventually be built in a factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, a neighbourhood only a few miles from Belfast City Centre. Construction on the factory began in October 1978, and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to start in 1979, engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until early 1981. By that time, the unemployment rate was high in Northern Ireland and local residents lined up to apply for jobs at the factory. The production personnel were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the best equipment available. Most quality issues were solved by 1982 and the cars were available with a five-year, 50,000-mile (80 000 km) warranty program.

The De Lorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following [[John De Lorean]]'s arrest in October of that year. He was later found innocent of all crimes, but it was too late for the DMC-12. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC-12s on the production line were completed by Consolidated Industries (now known as Big Lots, part of Kapac Co.).

A total of about 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_vins.htm DeLorean FAQ, Historic Information - DeLorean Production Numbers]</ref> Almost a fifth of these were produced in October 1981. Very few cars were produced between February and May 1982, although serious production returned in August that year. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinrat.pdf DMC-12 Estimated Production Volumes by Month (PDF) by Knut Grimsrud]</ref> The last DMC-12 was assembled on December 24, 1982, and the final "model year" was 1983.

==Construction==
The DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

===Body===
The body of the DMC-12 was designed by [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] and clad entirely in brushed SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_finish.htm DeLorean FAQ - Body Finish and Composition from Owners Manual]</ref> Painted De Loreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the factory. Several hundred fiberglass-bodied "black car" DMC-12s were produced to train workers, although these were never marketed. Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can reportedly be removed with a scouring pad.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_body.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Stainless Steel Body Maintenance]</ref> The stainless steel panels are fixed to a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, fiberglass) [[monocoque]] underbody. The underbody is affixed to a double-Y frame chassis, derived from the Lotus Esprit platform.

It must be noted that the unpainted stainless body creates challenges during restoration of the cars. In traditional automotive body repair, the panel is repaired to be as original ("straight") as possible and imperfections are sculpted back to form with body filler like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the filler will be hidden by the car's paint (for example, most new cars have filler hiding the seam where the roof meets the quarter panel). With an unpainted stainless body, the stainless steel must be reworked to exactly the original shape, contour and grain - which is a tremendously difficult job on regular steel (a dented or bent panel is stretched and a shrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal), let alone stainless. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to adhesion issues. De Lorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired; a prospect which ceased to be practical with the failure of the company.

Another novel feature of the DMC-12 is its [[gull-wing door]]s. The common problem of supporting the weight of gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers with lightweight doors in the [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL]] and an air pump in the [[Bricklin SV-1]], although these designs had structural or convenience issues. The DMC-12 features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts<ref>[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,378,658.WKU.&OS=PN/4,378,658&RS=PN/4,378,658 (U.S. patent# 4,378,658)]</ref>. These torsion bars were manufactured by Grumman Aerospace to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_tech1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Exotic Technology]</ref> These doors only extend 11 inches (264 mm) outside the line of the car, making opening and closing the doors in crowded parking lots relatively easy. Much like the doors fitted to the [[Lamborghini Countach]], the DMC-12 doors featured small cutout windows, because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door panels.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_dims.htm DeLorean FAQ - Vehicle Dimensions from Technical Manual, Workshop Manual]</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_doors.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Door Design]</ref>

===Engine===

The DMC-12 is powered by the [[PRV engine|PRV V6]], developed jointly by [[Peugeot]], [[Renault]], and [[Volvo]]. The engine is derived from the Volvo '''B28F''', fitted with a [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] K-Jetronic [[fuel injection]] system and modified to be mounted in reverse. The PRV is a 90-degree layout, displaces 2.849 L (91 mm bore, 73 mm stroke), and has a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The engine block and heads are cast of light alloy and the engine features [[single overhead camshaft]]s driving two [[poppet valve|valves]] per cylinder. When new, this engine was rated for 130 hp (97 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 153 ft lbf (208 N·m) at 2750 rpm. [[Fuel efficiency]] was said to be 19 mpg US (12 L/100 km, 22.8 mpg Imperial) and unofficial tests largely support this figure.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_spec3.htm DeLorean FAQ - Specifications from ''DeLorean Owners Handbook'']</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_fuel.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Fuel Economy and Octane Requirements]</ref>

Two transmissions were available for the DMC-12: a three-speed [[automatic transmission|automatic]] and a five-speed [[manual transmission]], both with a [[gear ratio|final drive ratio]] of 3.44:1. The manual transmission is a [[Renault 30]] gearbox. Most cars were fitted with manual transmissions. The engine in the DMC-12 is mounted behind the rear axle, much like the [[Volkswagen Beetle|VW Beetle]] and [[Porsche 911]]. The transaxle stretches forward between the axles.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinmix.pdf DeLorean Options Build Mix by Year] (PDF)</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Documents - Early Brochure (Date Unknown)]</ref>

===Suspension===
The underbody and [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Esprit, with a four-wheel [[independent suspension]], [[coil spring]]s, and telescopic [[shock absorbers]]. The front suspension used double wishbones, while the rear was a multi-link setup. In its original development stages, the car is said to have handled quite well. Considering that Lotus's reputation was built largely on the handling prowess of the cars the company produced, the DMC-12's smooth ride wasn't a surprise. Unfortunately, changing U.S. government regulations required modifications to the suspension system and an increase in the vehicle's factory ride height, both of which had adverse effects on the car's handling capabilities.

Steering was [[rack and pinion]], with an overall [[steering ratio]] of 14.9:1, giving 2.65 turns lock-to-lock and a 35 ft (10.67 m) turning circle. DMC-12s were originally fitted with cast alloy wheels, measuring 14 in (356 mm) in diameter by 6 in (152 mm) wide on the front and 15 in (381 mm) in diameter by 8 in (203 mm) wide on the rear. These were fitted with [[Goodyear]] NCT steel-belted radial tires; because the engine is mounted in the very rear of the vehicle, the DMC-12 has a 35%/65% front/rear weight distribution.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_weight.htm DeLorean FAQ - Weight and Balance from Technical manual]</ref>

The DMC-12 features power-assisted [[disc brake]]s on all wheels, with 10 in (254 mm) rotors front and 10.5 in (267 mm) rear.

==Performance==

John De Lorean had originally envisioned that the car would produce somewhere around 200 [[horsepower]], but eventually settled on a 170 horsepower output for the engine. However, stringent US emissions regulations required that parts such as [[catalytic converter]]s be added to the vehicle before it could be sold in that country. Although the new parts qualified the vehicle for sale in the US, they caused serious reductions to power output, to 130 horsepower. The 40-horsepower loss seriously impeded the DMC-12's performance, and when combined with the forced changes to the vehicle's suspension system, the US versions were regarded as disappointing. De Lorean's comparison literature noted that the DMC-12 could achieve 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 8.8 s, which would have been good for the time, but ''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine clocked the car at 10.5 s. However, it's possible that the factory performance numbers were achieved using a European spec car with the 170 horsepower engine.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/docs/doc_11f.gif DeLorean Motor Company - Physical Characteristics of Competitive Cars]</ref>

==Pricing==
New DMC-12s had a suggested retail price of $25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an [[automatic transmission]]); this is equivalent to approximately $52,200 in 2007 dollars. There were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above the list price; however, after the collapse of the De Lorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for under the retail price.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_sales.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Sales and Dealer Experiences]</ref>

The DMC-12 was only available with eight options including automatic transmission ($650); a car cover ($117); floor mats ($84); black textured accent stripes ($87); grey scotch-cal accent stripes ($55); a luggage rack ($269) and a ski-rack adapter. The standard feature list included stainless steel body panels; gull-wing doors with cryogenically-treated torsion bars; leather seats/trim; air conditioning; a high-output stereo system ($450); [[power window]]s, [[power door locks|lock]]s and mirrors; a [[steering wheel]] adjustable for both rake and reach; tinted glass; body side moldings; windshield wipers; and an electric rear window defogger.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc2.htm DeLorean FAQ - Dealer Installed Accessories (20 June 1981)]</ref><ref>[http://www.delorean-owners.org/legend/specs.html DeLorean Owners Association - DeLorean specifications table]</ref>

Prices for DMC-12s vary widely and are dependent upon supply and demand. As of early 2006, a Delorean in good to excellent condition can be had for around $17,000 to $20,000. Mint-condition cars can fetch up to $30,000. There are an estimated 6,000 surviving DMC-12s today. Some of the larger parts carry a steep price tag, such as the fiberglass underbody. Most parts are reasonably priced and readily available.

==Production changes==
Although there were no typical "yearly" updates to the De Lorean, several changes were made to the De Lorean during production. John De Lorean believed that model years were primarily a gimmick used by automobile companies to sell more cars. Instead of making massive changes at the end of the model year, he implemented changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982, and 1983 model years, but with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life of the De Lorean. The most visible of these changes related to the hood style.

===Hood styles===

The original hood of the De Lorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a gas flap to simplify fuel filling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the De Lorean. These cars typically had a locking gas cap to prevent siphoning. In 1981, the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars (although the hood creases stayed). This style was retained well into 1982. Based on production numbers for all three years, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, the company switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gas caps). The final styling for the hood included the addition of a De Lorean logo and the removal of the grooves, resulting in a completely flat hood. All changes to the hood were made not to alter the look of the car, but for a much more practical reason: production was faster with the non-grooved design; as well DMC had problems creating the hoods with the grooves, due to the stainless steel would often crack in the process.

===Other changes===

John DeLorean was 6'4" (193 cm) tall, and he designed the car to comfortably fit someone of his stature. For shorter people, the addition of a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pull straps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles in November 1981. These attach to the existing door handle. Late-model 1981 cars, and all cars from 1982 and 1983, have doors with permanent pull straps attached.

The side bolstering in the De Lorean was originally separate from the main interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piece when entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause the bolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix this problem; cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with the bolster permanently attached.

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest — in the form of an unusable pedal — was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue while driving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a model year. These were not built in to any 1981 vehicles, and were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.

Although the styling of the De Lorean's wheels remained unchanged, the wheels of early-model 1981 vehicles were painted grey. These wheels sported matching grey centre caps with an embossed DMC logo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to a polished silver look, with a contrasting black centre cap. The embossed logo on the centre caps was painted white to add contrast.

In 1981, the De Lorean came stocked with a Craig radio; this was a standard 1980s tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig did not have a built-in clock, one was installed in front of the [[gear shift]]. De Lorean switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982 production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, the standard De Lorean clock was removed at the same time.

The first 2,200 cars produced used a windshield embedded antenna. This type of antenna proved to be inadequate for most motoring needs, so a standard whip antenna was added to the outside of the front right quarter panel. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a hole in the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna was again moved, this time to the rear of the car. Automatic antennas were installed under the grills behind the rear driver's-side window. While giving the reception quality of a whip antenna, these completely disappear from view when not in use.

The small sun visors on the De Lorean have vinyl on one side, and headline fabric on the other side. Originally these were installed such that the vinyl side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they were reversed so that the fabric side would be on the bottom.

The original [[alternator]] supplied with the early production DMC-12s could not provide enough current to supply the car when all lights and electrical options were on; as a result, the battery would gradually discharge, leaving the driver stranded on the road. This happened to De Lorean owner Johnny Carson shortly after he was presented with the vehicle.

==Special DMC-12s==
Several special-edition DMC-12 cars have been produced over the years, including several that were used in the films of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Seven DeLoreans were used and modified with props after purchase to make them look like time travel machines throughout the trilogy. At least three DMC-12s were used in pornographic films that parodied the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

One of several DeLorean prototypes is still in existence, and is currently undergoing a complete restoration at De Lorean Motor Company of Florida. There have also been major finds in the last few years of "pilot cars". These cars, used for testing of the De Lorean, had been thought destroyed. The test car featured on the front cover of Autocar in 1981 announcing the De Lorean to the world was found in 2003 in a barn in Northern Ireland; it is currently undergoing restoration. Production of the De Lorean started at VIN 500. VINs 502 and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin-turbo version of the standard De Lorean PRV-V6 engine. VINs 502 and 530 are undergoing restoration at [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady's] in New York. Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist: it was purchased in the late 1990s by Marc Levy of New Jersey, an enthusiast, who swapped it with his standard De Lorean. There is also another Delorean that in its own right will soon join the ranks of becoming a Legend Car, VIN 570, which is now being converted to a full Legend (reproduction) Car by Chris Nicholson, the new owner.

VIN 500, notable for being the first production De Lorean to roll off the line in 1981, is on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref>[http://www.wrhs.org/cfm/auto/autoimage.cfm?auto_id=173 Crawford Auto Collection - 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe (first Delorean produced)]</ref>

Only 23 right-hand drive models were made for use in the United Kingdom, and as of 2002 these are valued at £25,000 each. <ref>BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1827617.stm ''Back to the futuristic''], 19 February 2002, retrieved 11 December, 2005</ref>

For Christmas 1981, A De Lorean/American Express promotion planned to sell one hundred 24k gold-plated DMC-12s for $85,000 each to its gold card members, but only two were sold. One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to the [[Petersen Automotive Museum]] of Los Angeles. It has a saddle brown interior rather than the stock black/grey interior, and an automatic transmission. <ref>[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ The 24-Karat Gold Plated DeLorean Car]</ref>

The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 is located at the William F. Harrah Foundation/[[National Automobile Museum]] in Reno, Nevada. This car, VIN #4300, is the only one of the three existing gold-plated examples to be equipped with a manual transmission. Like its golden siblings, it is a low-mileage vehicle with only 1,442 miles (2,307 km) on the [[odometer]].<ref>[http://www.automuseum.org/NAM_collections_delorean2.shtml National Automobile Museum - 1981 De Lorean LK Sport Coupe (gold plated)]</ref>

A third gold-plated car exists with 636 miles (1,018 km) clocked up; it carries the VIN plate for the last production De Lorean, #20105.<ref>[http://bigtexas.com/dmc/gold/ Gold Delorean for sale in LaVale, Maryland]</ref> This car was assembled with spare parts that were acquired by American Express. All necessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door. The car was assembled after another door was gold-plated, though the added door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain. The car was first acquired by the winner of a department store raffle. Consolidated International, which owned the department store, had purchased 1,374 DMC-12s during the De Lorean Company's financial troubles, acquiring the remaining stock after the company went into receivership. Now held by a private owner in La Vale, Maryland, the third and last gold-plated De Lorean is currently for sale at the price of $250,000. Both this car and the example in Reno have saddle-brown leather interiors, a color scheme which was intended to become an option on later production cars. However, these two cars were the only ones to be thus equipped from the factory.

==De Lorean today==

De Lorean culture lives on through the existing owners and their passion for the car. Children of the '80s are now able to afford the car that captured their imagination in ''Back To The Future''. A surge in De Lorean interest is evidenced by the cars' eBay availability, and pop-culture references abound.

====Gatherings and communications====
The [http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association], founded in 1983, is the largest international DeLorean group to date. The Association has yearly gatherings followed by great support of DeLorean members all over the world. The group provides a wealth of information to its membership, support and enjoyment for the marque.

Most notably in the United States, owners have gathered bi-annually for the [http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ De Lorean Car Show] which draws people from all over the world to a different location each time. ''Back to the Future'' cast and crew including '''Bob Gale''', '''James Tolkan''', '''[http://www.jeffreyweissman.com/ Jeffrey Weissman]''', and '''[http://www.armaniwells.com/ Claudia Wells]''' have made appearances, and even John De Lorean was known to attend before he died. Besides this main event, local clubs hold events throughout the year featuring driving tours, road rally scavenger hunts, tech sessions and more. Online, the De Lorean owner base keeps in contact using a mailing list called the De Lorean Mailing List or the DML.

====Repair shops====
Keeping the cars on the road are the specialties of the four remaining De Lorean repair shops: [http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company], [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady DeLorean], [http://www.deloreanmotorcenter.com DeLorean Motor Center], and [http://www.deloreanone.com DeLorean One]. These specialty shops service the De Loreans still on the road. The Delorean Motor Company bought the largest remaining stock of original parts from the Kapac corporation. The new DMC (commonly known as "DeLorean Houston", "Houston" or "DMC Texas") is the only place to find some rare parts, though they also sell through the other full service DeLorean shops. Their resources have also allowed some unavailable parts to be produced again, so that replacements for minor parts (such as switches) can now be had for a reasonable price. Overall, obtaining parts is neither difficult nor expensive.

====Magazines====
Along with the resurging interest in the car, new magazine publications have begun to be produced. The De Lorean Car Show has its own magazine that is currently seen as the main publication in the community. DeLorean Car Show Magazine (known just as DCS) is published quarterly by Ken Koncelik. Along with DCS there is Gullwing Magazine and DeLoreans, which is published by the new DMC in Texas. While these publications at times can be costly to purchase, the content is provided by the owner base, which generates more interest.

==De Lorean in popular culture==
When founding his company, John De Lorean negotiated with many celebrities to persuade them to back the new De Lorean car and the company. Johnny Carson, talk show host/comedian, was given a De Lorean and also invested in DMC; other famous owners included Matthew Reilly, Patrick Swayze, Jim Varney, James Bourne, Howard Johnson, and Chevy Chase.

The DMC-12 was featured and mentioned in many films and on television, most notably as the time machine designed by Dr. Emmett Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Brown's rationale for choosing the De Lorean was stated in the first film: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" He also indicates that the stainless steel construction of the automobile is advantageous for the "flux dispersal" of a time machine. In addition to elaborate enhancements for time travel, the fictional car was later modified with flying capabilities and a "Mr. Fusion" (a fictional fusion reactor, which came from the year 2015 and was very small - about the size of a coffee maker).

Six DMC-12s were co-opted for use in the making of the films. For the second and third films, producers replaced the underpowered stock engines in their production cars with [[Porsche]] engines. The ''Back to the Future Part II'' De Lorean was seen as a prop that Amanda Bynes rested on in the movie ''Big Fat Liar''.

In large part due to the popularity of ''Back to the Future'', the DeLorean has been seen in many other contexts as well, including ''The Simpsons'', ''The Wedding Singer'',''The Fairly Oddparents'', ''Monster Garage'', ''Drawn Together'', ''Family Guy'', ''Haker'', ''Get a Life'', ''Matlock'', ''Stargate Atlantis'', ''Eerie Indiana'', ''Donnie Darko'', ''Harvey Birdman'', ''Designing Women'' and also ''Minoriteam''. In most of these films and television shows, actors are seen driving a DMC-12 or mentioning the De Lorean in dialogue. As well, the DeLorean is referenced during a television spot on The Learning Channel as part of their life lesson ad campaign.

The DMC-12 has also been featured in many computer games, most notably in the ''Back To The Future'' games; but also in ''Carmageddon: Splat Pack'' (1997), ''Duke Nukem: Time to Kill'' (1998), ''Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now'' (1998), ''M25 Racer'' (1999), ''Interstate '82'' (featuring a license plate that says "BLOW" a reference to John's cocain arrest) (1999), ''Vigilante 8: Second Offense'' (1999), ''Resident Evil 3: Nemesis'' (1999), ''Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions'' (2002), ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' (2002) (lookalike, sans gull-wing doors, named "Deluxo"), ''R Racing Revolution'' (2004), ''Gran Turismo 4'' (2005), ''Enthusia Professional Racing'' (2005), ''FlatOut 2'' (2006), ''Redline'' (2006), and ''Scarface: The World is Yours'' (2006) (with scissor doors instead of gull-wing doors, named "Delphine"). It is also downloadable as an add-on car for Midtown Madness 2 in both the original DMC design and the Back to the Future design. Two versions of the DMC-12 from the second "Back To The Future" movies (flying mode and ground mode), (and other back to the future props) are also downloadable for "The Sims" from a popular fan site. In most of these video games, the cars are lookalikes or clones of the De Lorean, though not actually named "De Loreans" or featuring the De Lorean logo, to avoid copyright issues.

==See also==
* [[De Lorean Motor Company]]
* [[John De Lorean]]

==Notes==
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>



==References==
* John Z. De Lorean, Ted Schwarz, ''Delorean'', Zondervan (September, 1985), ISBN 0-310-37940-7
* J Lamm, ''DeLorean Stainless Steel Illusion'', 2nd edition (2003), ISBN 0-9744141-0-7
* R. M. Clarke, ''Delorean 1977–1995 Gold Portfolio'' (December 28 1995), ISBN 1-85520-331-6

==External links==
{{commonscat|De Lorean vehicles}}
*[http://www.deloreanweb.com DeloreanWeb.com] Delorean fan site
*[http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association] Founded in 1983, the Association is the oldest and largest association for DeLorean owners in the world.
*[http://www.ohiodeloreans.com [DeLorean Club of Ohio] with owners of tri-state area,
*[http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company] Official site of DeLorean Motor Company, with facilities located in Texas, Florida, Illinois and Europe.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com/ Northeast DeLorean Motor Club] Large club serving CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DC, VA and other surrounding areas. This club encourages people with little local support to come together for events all through the northeast.
*[http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ DeLorean Car Show] Delorean Car Show (DCS)is a quaterly publication devoted to DeLorean owners and enthusiasts alike. DCS also produces a large DeLorean-centric car show every two years at which all vendors, owners, and enthusiasts converge for a four day event highlighting the DMC-12 automobile.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com The Northeast Delorean Motor Club] An Internet mail list serving owners from the North East Coast of the United States.
*[http://www.deloreans.co.uk/ DeLorean Owners Club UK]
*[http://www.delorean.co.uk Delorean Motor Cars Ltd.] Official site of Delorean Motor Company, UK
*[http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady] The only original DMC dealership & repair shop still in business, W. Sayville, NY
*[http://www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EHistory/DeLorean.html The DeLorean Connection] describes the history of the DMC-12 with respect to the Lotus Esprit.
*[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ Gold DeLorean Car of Texas] describes the history of one of the 24k gold-plated DMC-12s.
*[http://www.entermyworld.com Tamir's Delorean Site] Extensive DMC-12 website.
*[http://www.projectvixen.com Project Vixen] The total restoration of a DeLorean from a basket case to a show winner. Also the home of the DMC internet mailing list combined archives—over 150,000 pages of information from the 1990's until present.
*[http://www.projectdelorean.com Project Delorean] Site chronicles the build up of the first ever Delorean wide-body custom.
*[http://www.socaldeloreanclub.metroairvirtual.com Southern California DeLorean Club] is a local SoCal DMC-12 owner & enthusiast club.
*[http://www.Babbtechnology.com/ The Quintessential DeLorean Website] Extensive information, and an online shop
*[http://www.home.no/delorean/ DeLorean Norge] is a De Lorean club in Norway.
*[http://www.zeta.org.au/~lanceh/delorean/ Delorean Australia] Good list of Aussie DeLorean owners and lists of service centers that have dealt with DMC-12 repairs and services before.
*[http://www.dmcnews.com/ DMC-News The DeLorean Mailing List] is an enthusiast site for DMC-12 owners with extensive model information.
*[http://www.az-d.org/ AZ-D - Arizona DeLorean Club] Fast growing, up and coming club with membership branching out into Las Vegas and Southern California. AZ-D hosts frequent tech events with first hand on site participation by five major DeLorean parts and service vendors. Monthly activities with high membership participation include present, past and future owner enthusiasts.
*[http://www.dmctalk.com/ DMC Talk.com] Forum frequented by many owners with a helpful community and a weath of information on custom projects or repairs.
* [http://www.bttf.com/ BTTF.com] Official ''Back to the Future'' news site and collectibles store.
* [http://markshields.com/bttf-delorean.shtml Mark Shields' DeLorean BTTF Time Machine Replica] Photos and History
* [http://www.Time-Car.com/ Time-Car] Back To The Future DeLorean Time Machine replica for hire.
* [http://www.PADMC.com/ PADMC] Pittsburgh Area DeLorean Maintenance Club.
* [http://www.mm2c.com/files/cars/?CarID=129 Midtown Madness 2 Central] Downloadable Delorean for Midtown Madness 2
* [http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/lifelessons/lifelessons.html?vid=11 TLC Life Lesson #11] TLC Life Lessons TV spot - "where'd you park your DeLorean?"

[[Category:Sports cars]]
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Coupes]]

De Lorean DMC-12

2008-03-22T12:42:29Z

99.141.57.105: /* De Lorean in popular culture */

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:Delorean brochure3 81.jpg|300px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''De Lorean DMC-12'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[De Lorean]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| aka
| "The Delorean"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1981 - 1983 approx. 8,583 units 2008 -
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| [[Sports car]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| 2-door [[coupe]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 166 in (4216 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 73.1 in (1857 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 44.9 in (1140 mm) doors closed 77.2 in (1961 mm) doors open
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 95 in (2413 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 2712 lb (1230 kg)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| 5-speed manual, RWD 3-speed automatic, RWD
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 2.8 litre (2849 cc) ''[[PRV engine|PRV]]'' [[V6]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 130 hp (97 kW) @ 5500 rpm 153 lb-ft (208 N·m) @ 2750 rpm
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Similar
| {{{similar (competition)}}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Designer
| [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]]
|}

The '''De Lorean DMC-12''' is an Irish [[sports car]] which was manufactured by the [[De Lorean Motor Company]] from 1981 through 1983. It is most commonly known as ''the'' De Lorean, as it was the only model  ever produced by the company. The DMC-12 featured [[gull-wing door]]s with a brushed stainless steel body. It was famously featured in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

The first prototype appeared in March 1977, and production officially began in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on January 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. During its production, several aspects of the car were changed, such as the hood (bonnet) style, wheels and interior. Around 8,583 DMC-12s were made before production fizzled in late 1982, with final production taking place in early 1983. Today, about six thousand DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist.

Despite being produced in Northern Ireland, DMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market. Therefore, all of the production models were [[left-hand drive]] (designed to be driven on the right side of the road), limiting its popularity in the British Isles, where traffic travels on the left. Only 23 right-hand drive De Loreans were ever produced, these cars were converted from left-hand drive models by a specialized company in the UK.

==History==

In October 1976, the first prototype De Lorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and designer (formerly chief engineer at [[Pontiac]]). Originally, the car's [[Rear-engine design|rear-mounted]] power plant was to be a [[Citroën]] [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]], but was replaced with a French-designed and produced [[PRV engine|PRV]] ([[Peugeot]]-[[Renault]]-[[Volvo]]) [[fuel injection|fuel injected]] V-6 because of the poor [[fuel efficiency|fuel economy]] of the rotary engine, an important issue at a time of world-wide fuel shortages. Collins and De Lorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would contribute to the light-weight characteristics of the car while presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which De Lorean had purchased patent rights, would eventually be found to be unsuitable for mass production. The car was a great work of art.

These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer [[Colin Chapman]], founder and owner of [[Lotus|Lotus]]. Chapman replaced most of the dubious material and manufacturing techniques with those currently being employed by Lotus. The original [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] body design was left mostly intact, as were the distinctive stainless steel outer skin and [[gull-wing door]]s. (Giugiaro had also designed the [[Lotus Esprit]].)

The DMC-12 would eventually be built in a factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, a neighbourhood only a few miles from Belfast City Centre. Construction on the factory began in October 1978, and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to start in 1979, engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until early 1981. By that time, the unemployment rate was high in Northern Ireland and local residents lined up to apply for jobs at the factory. The production personnel were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the best equipment available. Most quality issues were solved by 1982 and the cars were available with a five-year, 50,000-mile (80 000 km) warranty program.

The De Lorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following [[John De Lorean]]'s arrest in October of that year. He was later found innocent of all crimes, but it was too late for the DMC-12. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC-12s on the production line were completed by Consolidated Industries (now known as Big Lots, part of Kapac Co.).

A total of about 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_vins.htm DeLorean FAQ, Historic Information - DeLorean Production Numbers]</ref> Almost a fifth of these were produced in October 1981. Very few cars were produced between February and May 1982, although serious production returned in August that year. <ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinrat.pdf DMC-12 Estimated Production Volumes by Month (PDF) by Knut Grimsrud]</ref> The last DMC-12 was assembled on December 24, 1982, and the final "model year" was 1983.

==Construction==
The DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

===Body===
The body of the DMC-12 was designed by [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] and clad entirely in brushed SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_finish.htm DeLorean FAQ - Body Finish and Composition from Owners Manual]</ref> Painted De Loreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the factory. Several hundred fiberglass-bodied "black car" DMC-12s were produced to train workers, although these were never marketed. Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can reportedly be removed with a scouring pad.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_body.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Stainless Steel Body Maintenance]</ref> The stainless steel panels are fixed to a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, fiberglass) [[monocoque]] underbody. The underbody is affixed to a double-Y frame chassis, derived from the Lotus Esprit platform.

It must be noted that the unpainted stainless body creates challenges during restoration of the cars. In traditional automotive body repair, the panel is repaired to be as original ("straight") as possible and imperfections are sculpted back to form with body filler like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the filler will be hidden by the car's paint (for example, most new cars have filler hiding the seam where the roof meets the quarter panel). With an unpainted stainless body, the stainless steel must be reworked to exactly the original shape, contour and grain - which is a tremendously difficult job on regular steel (a dented or bent panel is stretched and a shrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal), let alone stainless. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to adhesion issues. De Lorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired; a prospect which ceased to be practical with the failure of the company.

Another novel feature of the DMC-12 is its [[gull-wing door]]s. The common problem of supporting the weight of gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers with lightweight doors in the [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL]] and an air pump in the [[Bricklin SV-1]], although these designs had structural or convenience issues. The DMC-12 features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts<ref>[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,378,658.WKU.&OS=PN/4,378,658&RS=PN/4,378,658 (U.S. patent# 4,378,658)]</ref>. These torsion bars were manufactured by Grumman Aerospace to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_tech1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Exotic Technology]</ref> These doors only extend 11 inches (264 mm) outside the line of the car, making opening and closing the doors in crowded parking lots relatively easy. Much like the doors fitted to the [[Lamborghini Countach]], the DMC-12 doors featured small cutout windows, because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door panels.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_dims.htm DeLorean FAQ - Vehicle Dimensions from Technical Manual, Workshop Manual]</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_doors.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Door Design]</ref>

===Engine===

The DMC-12 is powered by the [[PRV engine|PRV V6]], developed jointly by [[Peugeot]], [[Renault]], and [[Volvo]]. The engine is derived from the Volvo '''B28F''', fitted with a [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] K-Jetronic [[fuel injection]] system and modified to be mounted in reverse. The PRV is a 90-degree layout, displaces 2.849 L (91 mm bore, 73 mm stroke), and has a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The engine block and heads are cast of light alloy and the engine features [[single overhead camshaft]]s driving two [[poppet valve|valves]] per cylinder. When new, this engine was rated for 130 hp (97 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 153 ft lbf (208 N·m) at 2750 rpm. [[Fuel efficiency]] was said to be 19 mpg US (12 L/100 km, 22.8 mpg Imperial) and unofficial tests largely support this figure.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_spec3.htm DeLorean FAQ - Specifications from ''DeLorean Owners Handbook'']</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/c_fuel.htm DeLorean FAQ - Care & Feeding - Fuel Economy and Octane Requirements]</ref>

Two transmissions were available for the DMC-12: a three-speed [[automatic transmission|automatic]] and a five-speed [[manual transmission]], both with a [[gear ratio|final drive ratio]] of 3.44:1. The manual transmission is a [[Renault 30]] gearbox. Most cars were fitted with manual transmissions. The engine in the DMC-12 is mounted behind the rear axle, much like the [[Volkswagen Beetle|VW Beetle]] and [[Porsche 911]]. The transaxle stretches forward between the axles.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/news/n_vinmix.pdf DeLorean Options Build Mix by Year] (PDF)</ref><ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc1.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Documents - Early Brochure (Date Unknown)]</ref>

===Suspension===
The underbody and [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Esprit, with a four-wheel [[independent suspension]], [[coil spring]]s, and telescopic [[shock absorbers]]. The front suspension used double wishbones, while the rear was a multi-link setup. In its original development stages, the car is said to have handled quite well. Considering that Lotus's reputation was built largely on the handling prowess of the cars the company produced, the DMC-12's smooth ride wasn't a surprise. Unfortunately, changing U.S. government regulations required modifications to the suspension system and an increase in the vehicle's factory ride height, both of which had adverse effects on the car's handling capabilities.

Steering was [[rack and pinion]], with an overall [[steering ratio]] of 14.9:1, giving 2.65 turns lock-to-lock and a 35 ft (10.67 m) turning circle. DMC-12s were originally fitted with cast alloy wheels, measuring 14 in (356 mm) in diameter by 6 in (152 mm) wide on the front and 15 in (381 mm) in diameter by 8 in (203 mm) wide on the rear. These were fitted with [[Goodyear]] NCT steel-belted radial tires; because the engine is mounted in the very rear of the vehicle, the DMC-12 has a 35%/65% front/rear weight distribution.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/t_weight.htm DeLorean FAQ - Weight and Balance from Technical manual]</ref>

The DMC-12 features power-assisted [[disc brake]]s on all wheels, with 10 in (254 mm) rotors front and 10.5 in (267 mm) rear.

==Performance==

John De Lorean had originally envisioned that the car would produce somewhere around 200 [[horsepower]], but eventually settled on a 170 horsepower output for the engine. However, stringent US emissions regulations required that parts such as [[catalytic converter]]s be added to the vehicle before it could be sold in that country. Although the new parts qualified the vehicle for sale in the US, they caused serious reductions to power output, to 130 horsepower. The 40-horsepower loss seriously impeded the DMC-12's performance, and when combined with the forced changes to the vehicle's suspension system, the US versions were regarded as disappointing. De Lorean's comparison literature noted that the DMC-12 could achieve 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 8.8 s, which would have been good for the time, but ''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine clocked the car at 10.5 s. However, it's possible that the factory performance numbers were achieved using a European spec car with the 170 horsepower engine.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/img/docs/doc_11f.gif DeLorean Motor Company - Physical Characteristics of Competitive Cars]</ref>

==Pricing==
New DMC-12s had a suggested retail price of $25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an [[automatic transmission]]); this is equivalent to approximately $52,200 in 2007 dollars. There were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above the list price; however, after the collapse of the De Lorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for under the retail price.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/h_sales.htm DeLorean FAQ - Historic Information - Sales and Dealer Experiences]</ref>

The DMC-12 was only available with eight options including automatic transmission ($650); a car cover ($117); floor mats ($84); black textured accent stripes ($87); grey scotch-cal accent stripes ($55); a luggage rack ($269) and a ski-rack adapter. The standard feature list included stainless steel body panels; gull-wing doors with cryogenically-treated torsion bars; leather seats/trim; air conditioning; a high-output stereo system ($450); [[power window]]s, [[power door locks|lock]]s and mirrors; a [[steering wheel]] adjustable for both rake and reach; tinted glass; body side moldings; windshield wipers; and an electric rear window defogger.<ref>[http://www.dmcnews.com/faq/d_broc2.htm DeLorean FAQ - Dealer Installed Accessories (20 June 1981)]</ref><ref>[http://www.delorean-owners.org/legend/specs.html DeLorean Owners Association - DeLorean specifications table]</ref>

Prices for DMC-12s vary widely and are dependent upon supply and demand. As of early 2006, a Delorean in good to excellent condition can be had for around $17,000 to $20,000. Mint-condition cars can fetch up to $30,000. There are an estimated 6,000 surviving DMC-12s today. Some of the larger parts carry a steep price tag, such as the fiberglass underbody. Most parts are reasonably priced and readily available.

==Production changes==
Although there were no typical "yearly" updates to the De Lorean, several changes were made to the De Lorean during production. John De Lorean believed that model years were primarily a gimmick used by automobile companies to sell more cars. Instead of making massive changes at the end of the model year, he implemented changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982, and 1983 model years, but with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life of the De Lorean. The most visible of these changes related to the hood style.

===Hood styles===

The original hood of the De Lorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a gas flap to simplify fuel filling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the De Lorean. These cars typically had a locking gas cap to prevent siphoning. In 1981, the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars (although the hood creases stayed). This style was retained well into 1982. Based on production numbers for all three years, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, the company switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gas caps). The final styling for the hood included the addition of a De Lorean logo and the removal of the grooves, resulting in a completely flat hood. All changes to the hood were made not to alter the look of the car, but for a much more practical reason: production was faster with the non-grooved design; as well DMC had problems creating the hoods with the grooves, due to the stainless steel would often crack in the process.

===Other changes===

John DeLorean was 6'4" (193 cm) tall, and he designed the car to comfortably fit someone of his stature. For shorter people, the addition of a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pull straps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles in November 1981. These attach to the existing door handle. Late-model 1981 cars, and all cars from 1982 and 1983, have doors with permanent pull straps attached.

The side bolstering in the De Lorean was originally separate from the main interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piece when entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause the bolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix this problem; cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with the bolster permanently attached.

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest — in the form of an unusable pedal — was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue while driving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a model year. These were not built in to any 1981 vehicles, and were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.

Although the styling of the De Lorean's wheels remained unchanged, the wheels of early-model 1981 vehicles were painted grey. These wheels sported matching grey centre caps with an embossed DMC logo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to a polished silver look, with a contrasting black centre cap. The embossed logo on the centre caps was painted white to add contrast.

In 1981, the De Lorean came stocked with a Craig radio; this was a standard 1980s tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig did not have a built-in clock, one was installed in front of the [[gear shift]]. De Lorean switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982 production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, the standard De Lorean clock was removed at the same time.

The first 2,200 cars produced used a windshield embedded antenna. This type of antenna proved to be inadequate for most motoring needs, so a standard whip antenna was added to the outside of the front right quarter panel. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a hole in the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna was again moved, this time to the rear of the car. Automatic antennas were installed under the grills behind the rear driver's-side window. While giving the reception quality of a whip antenna, these completely disappear from view when not in use.

The small sun visors on the De Lorean have vinyl on one side, and headline fabric on the other side. Originally these were installed such that the vinyl side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they were reversed so that the fabric side would be on the bottom.

The original [[alternator]] supplied with the early production DMC-12s could not provide enough current to supply the car when all lights and electrical options were on; as a result, the battery would gradually discharge, leaving the driver stranded on the road. This happened to De Lorean owner Johnny Carson shortly after he was presented with the vehicle.

==Special DMC-12s==
Several special-edition DMC-12 cars have been produced over the years, including several that were used in the films of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Seven DeLoreans were used and modified with props after purchase to make them look like time travel machines throughout the trilogy. At least three DMC-12s were used in pornographic films that parodied the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy.

One of several DeLorean prototypes is still in existence, and is currently undergoing a complete restoration at De Lorean Motor Company of Florida. There have also been major finds in the last few years of "pilot cars". These cars, used for testing of the De Lorean, had been thought destroyed. The test car featured on the front cover of Autocar in 1981 announcing the De Lorean to the world was found in 2003 in a barn in Northern Ireland; it is currently undergoing restoration. Production of the De Lorean started at VIN 500. VINs 502 and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin-turbo version of the standard De Lorean PRV-V6 engine. VINs 502 and 530 are undergoing restoration at [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady's] in New York. Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist: it was purchased in the late 1990s by Marc Levy of New Jersey, an enthusiast, who swapped it with his standard De Lorean. There is also another Delorean that in its own right will soon join the ranks of becoming a Legend Car, VIN 570, which is now being converted to a full Legend (reproduction) Car by Chris Nicholson, the new owner.

VIN 500, notable for being the first production De Lorean to roll off the line in 1981, is on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref>[http://www.wrhs.org/cfm/auto/autoimage.cfm?auto_id=173 Crawford Auto Collection - 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe (first Delorean produced)]</ref>

Only 23 right-hand drive models were made for use in the United Kingdom, and as of 2002 these are valued at £25,000 each. <ref>BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1827617.stm ''Back to the futuristic''], 19 February 2002, retrieved 11 December, 2005</ref>

For Christmas 1981, A De Lorean/American Express promotion planned to sell one hundred 24k gold-plated DMC-12s for $85,000 each to its gold card members, but only two were sold. One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to the [[Petersen Automotive Museum]] of Los Angeles. It has a saddle brown interior rather than the stock black/grey interior, and an automatic transmission. <ref>[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ The 24-Karat Gold Plated DeLorean Car]</ref>

The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 is located at the William F. Harrah Foundation/[[National Automobile Museum]] in Reno, Nevada. This car, VIN #4300, is the only one of the three existing gold-plated examples to be equipped with a manual transmission. Like its golden siblings, it is a low-mileage vehicle with only 1,442 miles (2,307 km) on the [[odometer]].<ref>[http://www.automuseum.org/NAM_collections_delorean2.shtml National Automobile Museum - 1981 De Lorean LK Sport Coupe (gold plated)]</ref>

A third gold-plated car exists with 636 miles (1,018 km) clocked up; it carries the VIN plate for the last production De Lorean, #20105.<ref>[http://bigtexas.com/dmc/gold/ Gold Delorean for sale in LaVale, Maryland]</ref> This car was assembled with spare parts that were acquired by American Express. All necessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door. The car was assembled after another door was gold-plated, though the added door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain. The car was first acquired by the winner of a department store raffle. Consolidated International, which owned the department store, had purchased 1,374 DMC-12s during the De Lorean Company's financial troubles, acquiring the remaining stock after the company went into receivership. Now held by a private owner in La Vale, Maryland, the third and last gold-plated De Lorean is currently for sale at the price of $250,000. Both this car and the example in Reno have saddle-brown leather interiors, a color scheme which was intended to become an option on later production cars. However, these two cars were the only ones to be thus equipped from the factory.

==De Lorean today==

De Lorean culture lives on through the existing owners and their passion for the car. Children of the '80s are now able to afford the car that captured their imagination in ''Back To The Future''. A surge in De Lorean interest is evidenced by the cars' eBay availability, and pop-culture references abound.

====Gatherings and communications====
The [http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association], founded in 1983, is the largest international DeLorean group to date. The Association has yearly gatherings followed by great support of DeLorean members all over the world. The group provides a wealth of information to its membership, support and enjoyment for the marque.

Most notably in the United States, owners have gathered bi-annually for the [http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ De Lorean Car Show] which draws people from all over the world to a different location each time. ''Back to the Future'' cast and crew including '''Bob Gale''', '''James Tolkan''', '''[http://www.jeffreyweissman.com/ Jeffrey Weissman]''', and '''[http://www.armaniwells.com/ Claudia Wells]''' have made appearances, and even John De Lorean was known to attend before he died. Besides this main event, local clubs hold events throughout the year featuring driving tours, road rally scavenger hunts, tech sessions and more. Online, the De Lorean owner base keeps in contact using a mailing list called the De Lorean Mailing List or the DML.

====Repair shops====
Keeping the cars on the road are the specialties of the four remaining De Lorean repair shops: [http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company], [http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady DeLorean], [http://www.deloreanmotorcenter.com DeLorean Motor Center], and [http://www.deloreanone.com DeLorean One]. These specialty shops service the De Loreans still on the road. The Delorean Motor Company bought the largest remaining stock of original parts from the Kapac corporation. The new DMC (commonly known as "DeLorean Houston", "Houston" or "DMC Texas") is the only place to find some rare parts, though they also sell through the other full service DeLorean shops. Their resources have also allowed some unavailable parts to be produced again, so that replacements for minor parts (such as switches) can now be had for a reasonable price. Overall, obtaining parts is neither difficult nor expensive.

====Magazines====
Along with the resurging interest in the car, new magazine publications have begun to be produced. The De Lorean Car Show has its own magazine that is currently seen as the main publication in the community. DeLorean Car Show Magazine (known just as DCS) is published quarterly by Ken Koncelik. Along with DCS there is Gullwing Magazine and DeLoreans, which is published by the new DMC in Texas. While these publications at times can be costly to purchase, the content is provided by the owner base, which generates more interest.

==De Lorean in popular culture==
When founding his company, John De Lorean negotiated with many celebrities to persuade them to back the new De Lorean car and the company. Johnny Carson, talk show host/comedian, was given a De Lorean and also invested in DMC; other famous owners included Matthew Reilly, Patrick Swayze, Jim Varney, James Bourne, Howard Johnson, and Chevy Chase.

The DMC-12 was featured and mentioned in many films and on television, most notably as the time machine designed by Dr. Emmett Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Brown's rationale for choosing the De Lorean was stated in the first film: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" He also indicates that the stainless steel construction of the automobile is advantageous for the "flux dispersal" of a time machine. In addition to elaborate enhancements for time travel, the fictional car was later modified with flying capabilities and a "Mr. Fusion" (a fictional fusion reactor, which came from the year 2015 and was very small - about the size of a coffee maker).

Six DMC-12s were co-opted for use in the making of the films. For the second and third films, producers replaced the underpowered stock engines in their production cars with [[Porsche]] engines. The ''Back to the Future Part II'' De Lorean was seen as a prop that Amanda Bynes rested on in the movie ''Big Fat Liar''.

In large part due to the popularity of ''Back to the Future'', the DeLorean has been seen in many other contexts as well, including ''The Simpsons'', ''The Wedding Singer'',''The Fairly Oddparents'', ''Monster Garage'', ''Drawn Together'', ''Family Guy'', ''Haker'', ''Get a Life'', ''Matlock'', ''Stargate Atlantis'', ''Eerie Indiana'', ''Donnie Darko'', ''Harvey Birdman'', ''Designing Women'' and also ''Minoriteam''. In most of these films and television shows, actors are seen driving a DMC-12 or mentioning the De Lorean in dialogue. As well, the DeLorean is referenced during a television spot on The Learning Channel as part of their life lesson ad campaign.

The DMC-12 has also been featured in many computer games, most notably in the ''Back To The Future'' games; but also in ''Carmageddon: Splat Pack'' (1997), ''Duke Nukem: Time to Kill'' (1998), ''Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now'' (1998), ''M25 Racer'' (1999), ''Interstate '82'' (featuring a license plate that says "BLOW" a reference to John's arrest) (1999), ''Vigilante 8: Second Offense'' (1999), ''Resident Evil 3: Nemesis'' (1999), ''Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions'' (2002), ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' (2002) (lookalike, sans gull-wing doors, named "Deluxo"), ''R Racing Revolution'' (2004), ''Gran Turismo 4'' (2005), ''Enthusia Professional Racing'' (2005), ''FlatOut 2'' (2006), ''Redline'' (2006), and ''Scarface: The World is Yours'' (2006) (with scissor doors instead of gull-wing doors, named "Delphine"). It is also downloadable as an add-on car for Midtown Madness 2 in both the original DMC design and the Back to the Future design. Two versions of the DMC-12 from the second "Back To The Future" movies (flying mode and ground mode), (and other back to the future props) are also downloadable for "The Sims" from a popular fan site. In most of these video games, the cars are lookalikes or clones of the De Lorean, though not actually named "De Loreans" or featuring the De Lorean logo, to avoid copyright issues.

==See also==
* [[De Lorean Motor Company]]
* [[John De Lorean]]

==Notes==
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>



==References==
* John Z. De Lorean, Ted Schwarz, ''Delorean'', Zondervan (September, 1985), ISBN 0-310-37940-7
* J Lamm, ''DeLorean Stainless Steel Illusion'', 2nd edition (2003), ISBN 0-9744141-0-7
* R. M. Clarke, ''Delorean 1977–1995 Gold Portfolio'' (December 28 1995), ISBN 1-85520-331-6

==External links==
{{commonscat|De Lorean vehicles}}
*[http://www.deloreanweb.com DeloreanWeb.com] Delorean fan site
*[http://www.deloreanowners.org/ DeLorean Owners Association] Founded in 1983, the Association is the oldest and largest association for DeLorean owners in the world.
*[http://www.ohiodeloreans.com [DeLorean Club of Ohio] with owners of tri-state area,
*[http://www.delorean.com DeLorean Motor Company] Official site of DeLorean Motor Company, with facilities located in Texas, Florida, Illinois and Europe.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com/ Northeast DeLorean Motor Club] Large club serving CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DC, VA and other surrounding areas. This club encourages people with little local support to come together for events all through the northeast.
*[http://www.deloreancarshow.com/ DeLorean Car Show] Delorean Car Show (DCS)is a quaterly publication devoted to DeLorean owners and enthusiasts alike. DCS also produces a large DeLorean-centric car show every two years at which all vendors, owners, and enthusiasts converge for a four day event highlighting the DMC-12 automobile.
*[http://www.northeastdeloreans.com The Northeast Delorean Motor Club] An Internet mail list serving owners from the North East Coast of the United States.
*[http://www.deloreans.co.uk/ DeLorean Owners Club UK]
*[http://www.delorean.co.uk Delorean Motor Cars Ltd.] Official site of Delorean Motor Company, UK
*[http://www.pjgrady.com PJ Grady] The only original DMC dealership & repair shop still in business, W. Sayville, NY
*[http://www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EHistory/DeLorean.html The DeLorean Connection] describes the history of the DMC-12 with respect to the Lotus Esprit.
*[http://www.bigtexas.com/dmc/ Gold DeLorean Car of Texas] describes the history of one of the 24k gold-plated DMC-12s.
*[http://www.entermyworld.com Tamir's Delorean Site] Extensive DMC-12 website.
*[http://www.projectvixen.com Project Vixen] The total restoration of a DeLorean from a basket case to a show winner. Also the home of the DMC internet mailing list combined archives—over 150,000 pages of information from the 1990's until present.
*[http://www.projectdelorean.com Project Delorean] Site chronicles the build up of the first ever Delorean wide-body custom.
*[http://www.socaldeloreanclub.metroairvirtual.com Southern California DeLorean Club] is a local SoCal DMC-12 owner & enthusiast club.
*[http://www.Babbtechnology.com/ The Quintessential DeLorean Website] Extensive information, and an online shop
*[http://www.home.no/delorean/ DeLorean Norge] is a De Lorean club in Norway.
*[http://www.zeta.org.au/~lanceh/delorean/ Delorean Australia] Good list of Aussie DeLorean owners and lists of service centers that have dealt with DMC-12 repairs and services before.
*[http://www.dmcnews.com/ DMC-News The DeLorean Mailing List] is an enthusiast site for DMC-12 owners with extensive model information.
*[http://www.az-d.org/ AZ-D - Arizona DeLorean Club] Fast growing, up and coming club with membership branching out into Las Vegas and Southern California. AZ-D hosts frequent tech events with first hand on site participation by five major DeLorean parts and service vendors. Monthly activities with high membership participation include present, past and future owner enthusiasts.
*[http://www.dmctalk.com/ DMC Talk.com] Forum frequented by many owners with a helpful community and a weath of information on custom projects or repairs.
* [http://www.bttf.com/ BTTF.com] Official ''Back to the Future'' news site and collectibles store.
* [http://markshields.com/bttf-delorean.shtml Mark Shields' DeLorean BTTF Time Machine Replica] Photos and History
* [http://www.Time-Car.com/ Time-Car] Back To The Future DeLorean Time Machine replica for hire.
* [http://www.PADMC.com/ PADMC] Pittsburgh Area DeLorean Maintenance Club.
* [http://www.mm2c.com/files/cars/?CarID=129 Midtown Madness 2 Central] Downloadable Delorean for Midtown Madness 2
* [http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/lifelessons/lifelessons.html?vid=11 TLC Life Lesson #11] TLC Life Lessons TV spot - "where'd you park your DeLorean?"

[[Category:Sports cars]]
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Coupes]]

Pontiac Firebird 1982-2002

2008-03-22T12:16:27Z

99.141.57.105: /* 1993 */

After 15 successful model years, the '''[[Pontiac]] Firebird''' would become an entirely different animal with the 3rd and 4th gen models. The Firebird (and of course the [[Chevrolet Camaro]]) would now put a much greater emphasis on utility, modern aerodynamic styling, and, of course, fuel economy. The 3rd gen Firebird would last ''almost'' as long as its 2nd gen predecessor, lasting 11 model years, and would be redesigned in 1993. The final 4th gen Firebird would ultimately be the best built, most economical and fastest Firebird ever before GM pulled the plug on them at the end of 2002 after 36 model years.

See also:
*'''[[Pontiac Firebird]]'''
*'''[[Pontiac Firebird 1967-1981]]''' for information about the first two generations
*'''[[Chevrolet Camaro]]'''

Here's a brief rundown on the 3rd and 4th gen Firebirds:

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:1982 Pontiac Firebird.jpg|300px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''Pontiac Firebird'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[General Motors]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1982-1992
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| Sports Car
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| 3-Door Hatchback 2-Door Convertible
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 195.1"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 72.4"
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 49.8"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 101"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 3100-3500 lbs
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| 4-Speed Manual, RWD 5-Speed Manual, RWD 3-Speed Automatic, RWD 4-Speed Automatic, RWD
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 2.5L (151 cid) I4 (1982-1985) 2.8L (173 cid) V6 (1982-1989) 3.1L (191 cid) V6 (1990-1992) 3.8L (231 cid) Turbo V6 (1989) 5.0L (305 cid) V8 (1982-1992) 5.7L (350 cid) V8 (1987-1992)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 92-350 hp
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Similar
| [[Chevrolet Camaro]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Platform
| F
|}

==3rd Generation (1982-1992)==

===1982===

The Firebird was still a rear-drive 2+2 design, but it weighed in at about 300-400 lbs lighter than the 2nd gens. The sleek, aerodynamically styled body sported pop-up headlamps, and while it retained the same basic taillight design, the new body was also a hatchback with a fold-down rear seat. This greatly added to its utility, and was much better than the footlocker-sized trunk of the previous version. Dashboards eliminated the conventional glovebox, replaced with what some referred to as an "oversized wallet" in its place, a change not everyone approved of. There were now the base Firebird, the S/E (which replaced the Esprit), and of course the Trans Am. The Formula model unfortunately gone, but its absence was only temporary as it would return 5 years later.

There was a major shakeup in the drivetrain department as well. The base engine in the base model was now the 92 hp "Iron Duke" 2.5L (151 cid) I4. Optional was the Chevrolet-built 112 hp 2.8L (173 cid) V6, and the 150 hp Chevrolet-built 5.0L (305 cid) V8. There would be no more Pontiac-produced V8s at all in this generation (or any other car, for that matter) - these were now all considered "corporate" engines. This was a decision that would disappoint many hardcore Pontiac fans - to them, a Chevy-powered V8 Pontiac just wasn't right... but if they wanted a new Pontiac, they didn't have much choice. The S/E models had the 2.8 V6 as standard, with the 305 as an option, but the Trans Am had a choice of 2 305s - a 150 hp 4bbl version, or an all-new 165 "cross-fire injection" version, which only came with a 3-speed automatic. The crossfires got an off-centered bulged hood similar in design to the previous Turbo 4.9 hoods, and they were optional on the base 305 T/A. Pontiac had originally planned to use the Turbo 4.9 in the 3rd gen models but that plan was scrapped when it was decided that they were to use GM's "corporate" V8 engines instead. The crossfire-injection setup was the same system also used on the 1982 [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]]. Some critics chided GM for the name "crossfire", joking that it sounded like a condition that should be covered under warranty instead of a fuel-delivery system ''("Stand back, kid! That engine is about to crossfire!")''

Performance was down a little bit compared to the 1981 Firebirds, and even a cross-fire Trans Am got sand kicked in its face by the reborn [[Ford Mustang]] GT, to add further insult to injury. Transmission choices for all models were a 4-speed manual (except the crossfire edition) or a 3-speed automatic. The WS6 option returned, and included 4 wheel disc brakes, P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT radials with 15" cast aluminum wheels, stiffer springs, thicker front and rear sway bars, and a high ratio 12.7:1 steering box.

===1983===

Not many visual changes for 1983 Firebirds other than very subtle ones. 4-speed automatics replaced the 3-speed units on the V6 and V8 engines (except the crossfire, which still used the 3-speed), and 5-speed manuals became available also (except the base I4 and, again, the crossfire). And speaking of the crossfire, it was dumped mid-season, replaced by a 190 hp High Output 305 4bbl V8, giving the Trans Am a big shot in the arm as far as power (and reputation) was concerned, and a Trans Am driver no longer had to lay low at a stoplight if a Mustang GT pulled along side of it. The H.O. engine would be available with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. The Iron Duke I4, 2.8 V6 and "regular" 305 V8s continued as before.

===1984===

Firebirds were enjoying great sales increases, and by now the 3rd gen Firebirds were definitely coming into their own among pony car fans with their sleek looks, hot engines, and raw, all-American V8/rear drive power. The Trans Am celebrated its 15th birthday this year, so Pontiac threw it a little celebration with the 15th Anniversary edition. While the 15th Anniversary Trans Am wasn't quite as outrageous as the 2nd gen 10th Anniversary model, it nonetheless had some very distinct styling cues, such as monotone white paint (which included the rims), white leather interior... even the taillights were striped white. On the white body were blue accents and hood decal. The WS6 suspensions were upgraded slightly, and they also borrowed the 245/50VR16 tires from the Corvette - the first time a 16" tire would be used on an F body. "Lesser" Trans Ams continued as before with little change, as did the base Firebird and S/E. A new rim design on the S/E and Trans Am replaced the previous "bowling-ball" capped design (used mostly for aerodynamics. Most owners trashed them, and one with the originals still intact would be a rare sight today).

===1985===

The Firebird would receive its first real visual change across the board this year. The nose and tail were now more rounded than before - the nose deleted its faux-grille and could have integrated fog-lights for the first time, and the taillights were also revised with a new subtle vertical and horizontal grid pattern. The dashboard and console were changed slightly also, the automatic transmission selector was now a T-handle, replacing the ball with the button atop the shifter. The base I4 continued, but the 2.8 V6 saw an hp increase to 135 and received multi-port fuel injection. Base and H.O. 305 continued as well, but the big news this year was an all-new 205 hp Tuned Port Injection (TPI) 305. This would be the first 3rd gen Trans Am to break the 200-hp barrier, and it was available only with the 4-speed automatic transmission. 16" rims were standard on the TPI T/As. The "turbo-bulge" hood was discontinued on Trans Ams, replaced with twin, non-functional louvered nostrils.

And last but not least was the return of the "screaming chicken" hood decal option on Trans Ams, last seen in 1981. Its design was of course smaller and not quite as outrageous as the previous versions in which some of them even took up virtually the ''entire hood!'' There were some that applauded the chicken decal return, but many critics couldn't help but wonder if such a decal looked out of place on a 3rd gen model, especially since the 3rd gens didn't have a shaker hood to complete the look - in some eyes it just didn't work. Plus, even with the power increases, sales were down versus last year's figures.

===1986===

The biggest across-the-board visual change for all models was the addition of the now-mandatory center-high-mounted-stop-lamp atop the rear hatch. The 305 H.0. was dropped early in the model year due to fuel-boiling issues. S/E models were also no more, as was (thankfully) the rarely-ordered I4 engine in the base models - the 2.8 V6 was now the standard engine. The "regular" and TPI 305s continued as before. Trans Am rear spoilers were now the wrap-around type, replacing the raised units. All others still had the raised spoiler.

===1987===

The center-high-mounted-stop-lamp was relocated from atop the rear hatch and integrated into the rear spoiler, which was about the only visual change. The "screaming chicken" Trans Am hood decal finally flew away for good this year, never to return. Base and Trans Ams of course continued, but 1987 saw the addition of a new model and the return of an old one; The '''GTA''' and '''Formula''', respectively. The GTA was now the top-dog Trans Am model, and has such visual enhancements as gold 16" flat mesh diamond spoke wheels and special badging. The Formula, back after a 5 year absence, reprised its role as a go-between for the base and the Trans Am. While it had the looks of the base Firebird, it could have the Trans Am powertrains (some called such models "sleepers"). It was basically the same idea as [[Ford]]'s [[Ford Mustang|Mustang]] 5.0 LX. Base and Formulas got new taillights that incorporated separate amber turn signal lenses, and all Formulas used the previous "turbo" hood with the off-center hood bulge that was last seen as a Trans Am option in 1984.

The 2.8 V6 and the 305 4bbl on the base continued, but the big news this year was the much-anticipated arrival of the 210 horse TPI 5.7L (350 cid) V8 for the GTA, Trans Am and Formula models. The Firebird's 350 TPI was rated 10-15 less than the comparably-equipped Camaro IROC-Zs due to the Pontiac's lower hoodline, which necessitated a more stringent induction system, resulting in the hp decrease. The 350 TPI was available only with the 4-speed automatic, but the 305 TPI could now be had with a 5-speed manual. The 350 was standard in the GTA, although the lesser 305 TPI could be had as a "credit" option - plus it was your only choice if you desired a 5-speed manual. TPI models got a new 140 MPH speedo, while the "regular" 305 and base models got a 110 MPH unit.

===1988===

The base 170 hp 305 finally gets throttle-body fuel injection (TBI) this year, so now all Firebird engines are fuel-injected. The Formula got its own aluminum 16" wheel design not shared with other Firebirds. Base models, Trans Ams and GTAs continued otherwise unchanged other than a slightly revised 16" rim design for the T/As and GTAs, and could now be had in various body colors instead of just gold. Digital dashboards became an option on Trans Ams and GTAs, which got a new steering wheel with integrated stereo controls. GTAs also got another interesting optional feature this year only: a notchback decklid design, which eliminated the wraparound rear window - it was now flat and nearly vertical. Supposedly only 718 were sold, making one a very rare sight today. Another interesting sales fact was that for the first time since 1974, the Formula would outsell the Trans Am once again, although that's surely a result of many potential Trans Am buyers ponying up extra for the top-dog GTA instead of settling for the "regular" Trans Am.

===1989===

No visual changes to speak of for any Firebird model. All Firebirds would get the Vehicle Anti Theft System (VATS) this year, which included a special computer chip on the ignition key that would help prevent the vehicle from being "hotwired", so to speak. Rear seats (for those who dared to actually sit back there) now had shoulder belts. The GTA's unpopular one-year-wonder notchback option was dropped. This year, GM offered a dual catalytic converter option for the 305 and 350 TPI engines, boosting their respective horsepower ratings to 230 and 240.

All that was fine and dandy, but the big news was the 20th Anniversary Edition Pace Car Trans Am. This would be the first Anniversary Edition Trans Am that didn't concentrate solely on look-at-me paint shemes and decals like the previous Anniversary models (although it could be had with Pace Car door decals if so desired), and instead offered a powertrain not available on any other Firebird model; the (underrated) 250 hp 3.8L (231 cid) turbo intercooled V6 that last saw duty in the 1987 [[Buick Grand National]]. Although it was technically a Trans Am, it was based on the GTA, resulting in kind of a cross between the two. All were white with tan leather or cloth, and could have T-top or hardtop. This would be the first time a turbo engine was available in the Trans Am since 1981, the first time a Trans Am engine wouldn't be shared with the Formula since the 1976 455, and the first time a 6-cylinder engine was offered in a Trans Am... ever. ''Car and Driver'' magazine tested one, measuring a 4.6 second 0-60 time and a 13.4 1/4 mile time - almost unheard of back in 1989 unless you had a [[Lamborghini]], and still very respectable times even today.

1555 models were sold, and ''supposedly'' a very small handful were a color other than white, but they were reportedly GM test mules and not believed to have been sold to the general public.

===1990===

The turbo Anniversary model was gone, so things got back to normal for the Firebird line, relatively speaking. This was a shortened model year due to the early introduction of the 1991 models, but there were still a few changes this year, not the least of which was a now-standard driver's side airbag appeared (which eliminated the integrated stereo controls). Also the 2.8 V6 was dropped in the base models, being replaced by a new 140 hp 3.1 (191 cid) V6. Formulas and Trans Ams still came standard with the 170 hp 305 TBI, with the 305 and 350 TPI as optional. The 350 TPI was still standard fare in the GTA, with the 305 TPI available as a credit option. Dashboards were ever-so-slighty revised as well, and the digital dash option was discontinued. Rear seatbacks were no longer divided in the middle, they were now one piece.

===1991===

Introduced in March, 1990 as early 1991 models, all Firebirds got a restyled nose modeled after the Banshee show car, and all models now shared the same fiberglass wraparound rear spoiler. The CHMSL was relocated inside the top of the rear window. Base, Trans Ams and GTAs received a new ground effects design, a look which didn't please everyone, but at least it was optional. The Formulas could not have the ground effects. Trans Ams and GTAs got updated 2 piece taillights with PONTIAC scripted in orange across the panels.

The convertible bodystyle returned this year, the first factory Firebird since 1969. It was available only as a base or Trans Am, and could not be had with the 5.7 engine. The 5.7's dual-cat option was now standard, putting hp now at 245. Another Firebird model, the '''Firehawk''', would debut this year as an option package on the Formula. The Firehawk was the brainchild of Ed Hamburger of Street Legal Performance (SLP), and it had a 350 hp version of the 350 with a 6-speed manual borrowed from the Corvette. Needless to say its performance was phenomenal, but it was also horrendously expensive (stickering at over $50,000). A reported 8 were sold in 1991.

===1992===

1992 models were pretty much untouched, as the design had pretty much run its course and surely most buyers were waiting for the all-new 1993 model. All models received improved sealants in the body in various places in an attempt to reduce squeaks and rattles (a tall order in a 3rd gen F body). Total production this year was less than 28,000, but Firehawk sales jumped to a grand total of 25.

An all-new 4th generation Firebird was waiting in the wings next year, and it was definitely time.

==Main Competitors (1982-1992)==

*[[Ford Mustang]]
*[[Mercury Capri]]

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:2002 Pontiac Firbird T-A.jpg|300px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''Pontiac Firebird'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[General Motors]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1993-2002
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| Sports Car
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| 3-Door Hatchback 2-Door Convertible
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 195.6"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 74.4"
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 51.8"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 101"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 3300-3500 lbs
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| 5-Speed Manual, RWD 6-Speed Manual, RWD 4-Speed Automatic, RWD
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 3.4L (207 cid) V6 (1993-1995) 3.8L (231 cid) V6 (1995-2002) 5.7L (346 cid) V8 (1998-2002) 5.7L (350 cid) V8 (1993-1997)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 160-380 hp
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Similar
| [[Chevrolet Camaro]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Platform
| F
|}

==4th Generation (1993-2002)==

===1993===

After being threatened with extinction once again, an all new 4th gen Firebird debuted for 1993, along with its Camaro twin. While the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen Firebirds were all very different from each other, the 4th gen was more or less an updated 3rd gen model, even sharing the same 101" platform, although it was 2 inches wider and taller, and about a 1/2 inch longer. The 4th gen was also a 3-door hatchback model like the 3rd gen and retained its pop-up healights, but the body panels were all new and had new dent and rust-resistant fenders, doors and decklid. Curb weights were about the same, but power (and build quality) was way up over the 3rd gens. Dual airbags were standard (a first for a GM model), as well as anti-lock brakes. T-tops were available on all models.

In this generation, there were base, Formula and Trans Am models. The GTA would not be carried over. Drivetrains were greatly simplified in this generation also, starting with a 160 hp 3.4L (207 cid) V6 as standard for the base model with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, while a 275 hp 5.7L (350 cid) '''LT1''' V8 was standard fare for the Formula and Trans Am. This time the top engine not only got a standard manual transmission, it was a 6-speed to boot. 4-speed automatics were also available. Formulas once again split the difference between the base Firebird and the Trans Am. The SLP Firehawk package was available again, but this time it was available on the Trans Am (not until 1999) as well as the Formula, and had a 300 hp LT1.

===1994===

Convertibles were back this year after a year hiatus, and available on all models (including the Formula, a first). There were no visual changes, but V8 models got the dreaded CAGS forced 1-4 upshift on light acceleration (although a quick blip on the gas while changing gears would cancel it). The LT1 got a few minor changes, but hp stayed the same at 275. A one-year-wonder Trans Am GT was available this year only. Being the 25th anniversary of the Trans Am, Pontiac of course offered a 25th Anniversary Edition, but this time it was very much like the 15th Anniversary, which meant this one was also white (inside and out) with blue accents, hood and decklid stripe. It was available as either a hatchback or convertible. Base, Formula and "regular" Trans Ams continued as before.

===1995===

Formulas and Trans Ams got new 5-spoke rims and could now have traction control. Formulas no longer had "Formula V8" decals, they now read simply "Formula". A couple of new color choices became available, but the big news for the base model was the mid-year introduction of the 200 hp 3.8L (231 cid) V6 as an option.

===1996===

The 3.4 V6 was dropped and the 200 hp 3.8 was now standard on the base models. For those keeping score, the base Firebird this year kicked out more horsepower than the most powerful Trans Am did in 1984 (ain't technology wonderful?) The base also got the 5-spoke rims of the Formula and Trans Am, doing away with the rather bizarre design of the previous base rims. Formulas and Trans Ams got a 10 hp power increase to 285, but the big news this year was the return of the '''WS6''' package. Previously an upgraded suspension option, WS6 was now an engine upgrade (and suspension upgrade), and resurrected the '''Ram Air''' moniker, not used since 1970. Formulas and Trans Ams so equipped got a 20 hp increase to 305, and got twin forward-facing hood scoops, not unlike the 2nd gen Formula hood design.

===1997===

Daytime running lamps became standard this year (using the parking lights). The WS6 package introduced last year was now available on the convertible Formula and Trans Ams. Air conditioning became standard on all models, and all models got a redesigned console that included 4 cupholders (2 in front, 2 in back) and 2 power outlets. Base, Formula and Trans Ams otherwise continued with no other changes.

===1998===

Firebirds got their first (and last) real major upgrade this year. Visually, front ends were new with quad pop-up headlamps, replacing the duals, and all models got standard fog lamps. The rear stayed basically the same, but instead of the grid pattern on the taillights, it was now a honeycomb pattern. Formulas were no longer offered as convertibles. Base Firebirds still used the 3.8 V6, but the LT1s were discarded in favor of a new '''LS1''', borrowed from the [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]]. The LS1 was still 5.7 liters, but it was a tad smaller than the LT1 (346 vs 350 cid)... but the LS1s had a 20 hp increase for a total of 305 (the same figure as last year's WS6 LT1). WS6s were carried over as well, and they were now rated at 320 hp. They got new, more pronounced twin hood scoops over last year's smaller scoops. T-tops were now standard on the Trans Am. Firehawks carried over, and got subsequent horsepower increases as well. The horsepower ratings for these cars were heavily underrated by General Motors to protect base model Corvette sales. The LS1 F-bodies were never "de-tuned". Dyno tests of completely stock LS1 F-bodies confirm this, as these cars put out over 300 rear-wheel horsepower consistently.

===1999===

Some color changes and traction control was now an option on the base models. Gas tanks were enlarged to 16.8 gallons vs 15.5. Base, Formula and Trans Ams continued as well as the WS6 package for the Formulas and T/As. It was anniversary time again for the Trans Am, hence the 30th Anniversary model (and unfortunately the last anniversary model). This one was also white inside and out with blue accents (including the rims), and got 2 blue stripes for the hood and decklid, harking back to the original 1969 Trans Am. All 30th T/As were WS6 models, and were either a hatchback or convertible (with a blue top, again as a tribute to the original '69 model). And, adhering to the tradition of past Anniversary/Pace Car models, they were available with Pace Car door decals if so desired.

===2000===

Base, Formula and Trans Ams continued unchanged, aside from some more color shuffling.

===2001===

LS1 engines got a 5 hp increase to 310 for the non-WS6, 325 for the WS6. Again, these ratings were heavily underrated by GM. Base 3.8 engines stayed the same at 200. The WS6 package was unfortunately no longer available on the Formula, becoming a Trans Am exclusive this year. WS6 Formulas are very rare, less than 1000 total were made from 1998-2000. On the other side of the coin, WS6 Trans Ams were by now outselling the "regular" Trans Ams. A gorgeous new Sunset Orange Metallic color was introduced this year.

===2002===

Base Firebirds now had power windows and locks as standard equipment, and T-tops became standard on the Formulas - both of which continued unchanged for their final year. A Commemorative Collector Edition Trans Am was offered, being yellow with black accents and rims, and was either the hatch or a convertible. All had the WS6 package. The SLP Firehawk package was still available on either the Formula or Trans Ams, and there were various other packages, such as the 380 hp Blackhawk that helped the Firebird go out with a bang before being grounded permanently after this year.

==Main Competitor (1993-2002)==

*[[Ford Mustang]]

{{Pontiac}}