During the automaker’s short lifespan in the early 1980s, approximately 9,000 DMC 12s were constructed, but it seems it’ll make a comeback in the not so distant future.
It might sound corny now, but when the DMC-12 premiered in 1981 it was unlike anything on the market. The Giorgetto Giugiaro designed automobile had gullwing doors, a rear-mounted engine and an unpainted stainless-steel body. Moreover, thanks to its publicity gained by the Back to the Future trilogy, it became an instant hit.
Unfortunately, the car’s attributes didn’t help John DeLorean and the company much, so production of the quirky vehicle was halted in early 1983. Still, thanks to an active, enthusiastic community, the DMC-12 remained a milestone in the motoring and pop culture.
British entrepreneur, Stephen Wynne, started a separate company in 1995 sing the “DeLorean Motor Company” name and began assembling and refurbishing cars from new-old stock and OEM parts using existing VIN numbers in Humble, Texas .
Now, however, thanks to a low-volume manufacturing bill approved by the federal government, Wynne can build 1982-spec DMC-12, as he told KPRC2 in Houston.
“It’s fantastic. It is a game-changer for us. We’ve been wanting this to happen. That was a green light to go back into production. That was prohibited. It was against the law to do it. It’s huge for us. It means we’re back as a car company again.”
The shop in Texas apparently has enough supplies in stock to build about 300 DeLoreans and Wynne says it will cost less than $100,000, although the price might be influenced by the engine choice.
“There’s no reason to change the appearance of the car. As we go into the program, we’ll decide what areas need to be freshened up.”
Anyhow, for anyone that wants to stick with the original icon, refurbished examples go for $45,000 to $55,000 on the used car market.