DeLorean
The stainless steel gullwing that became a pop culture icon — the DMC-12 was born from one man's grand ambition, lasted just two years in production, and became immortal through cinema.
Origins & The DMC Dream
The DeLorean Motor Company was founded in 1975 by John Zachary DeLorean — one of the most charismatic and controversial figures in American automotive history. DeLorean had been a star executive at General Motors, credited with creating the Pontiac GTO — the original American muscle car — before resigning to pursue his vision of an independent sports car company. His concept was simple but ambitious: build a safe, ethical, durable sports car unlike the compromise-laden products he believed mainstream manufacturers were producing.
The DMC-12 that resulted from DeLorean's vision was a remarkable object: a rear-engined sports car with a brushed stainless steel body — a material never used on a production car before — and gullwing doors that opened upward rather than outward. The design was by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the same Italian master responsible for the original Volkswagen Golf and the De Tomaso Mangusta. The chassis and running gear were developed with the assistance of Lotus Engineering, which provided the backbone chassis that gave the car its handling characteristics.
Production took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from 1981 to 1982, before the company collapsed following John DeLorean's arrest on drug trafficking charges — charges of which he was ultimately acquitted, but which came too late to save the company. Only about 9,000 DMC-12s were ever built. The car's immortality was secured in 1985 when it was chosen as the time machine in the Back to the Future film franchise, a choice that has ensured DeLorean's place in global popular culture for four decades.
Key Milestones
The DMC-12 & Its Variants
The DeLorean Motor Company produced only one model in its brief history, but that model came in several interesting variations.
Engineering Features
The DMC-12 was an unusual engineering combination: a Lotus-designed backbone chassis, a PRV V6 engine originally designed for use in the Renault 30, and a stainless steel body that required entirely different manufacturing processes from conventional painted steel.
- Stainless steel body panels — the DMC-12 uses brushed 304 stainless steel panels that do not require painting and theoretically never rust, though they require special care to maintain the brushed finish
- Gullwing doors — the upward-opening doors are the DMC-12's most distinctive feature, requiring a relatively narrow door opening that makes entry and exit challenging but creates an unforgettable visual impression
- Lotus backbone chassis — designed by Colin Chapman's team at Lotus, the fibreglass backbone chassis provides the structural foundation and gave the car acceptable handling despite the heavy stainless steel body
- Rear-mounted PRV V6 — the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo 2.85-litre V6 was a proven engine used across multiple European cars, chosen for reliability and parts availability rather than outright performance
DeLorean in Azerbaijan
Original DeLorean DMC-12s are rare in Azerbaijan — surviving examples worldwide number fewer than 6,500, and they are concentrated in the United States where most were sold. As collector pieces, they command significant prices globally and are unlikely to be found for sale through conventional channels in Azerbaijan.
However, the DeLorean name's global recognition through Back to the Future means it is one of the most immediately recognisable cars in the world regardless of country. Azerbaijani film and car enthusiasts are as likely to know the DMC-12 as their counterparts anywhere — the time machine transcends borders and generations.
Why DeLorean Is Unforgettable
- The stainless steel original: No other production car in history has used a brushed stainless steel body — the material choice alone makes the DMC-12 unique in the entire canon of automotive design.
- Pop culture immortality: Back to the Future has been seen by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The DMC-12's role as a time machine has given it a cultural presence that no amount of conventional marketing could have achieved.
- The audacity of John DeLorean: DeLorean's story is one of extraordinary ambition — a senior General Motors executive who walked away from one of the world's most powerful companies to create his own car, manufacturing it in Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Whatever his failings, his vision was remarkable.
- Collector value: The combination of rarity, unique construction, and pop culture significance has made the DMC-12 one of the most stable collector cars in the world — values have increased consistently as the Back to the Future generation reaches collector age.
DeLorean in Pictures
Browse images of the DeLorean lineup available in Azerbaijan.
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