Legendarily Notorious
Automotive icon status is usually given to a model or brand due to popularity, elegance, and reputation as a successful race or street car. On the other end of that spectrum are the notorious cars and brands that, while popular, aren’t necessarily icons for all the right reasons.
DeLorean is one such brand that mixes both the good and the bad sides of being an icon. It is rare to find a model like the DMC-12 that has the pop culture gravitas mixed with real-world horror stories. Whatever one feels about DeLorean and the DMC-12, it is undoubtedly one of the coolest cars ever conceived, and a very well-kept example has just been showcased.
Genuinely Preserved
The classic car market is filled with all types of examples in various conditions of decay or pristine. Such is the weird world of automobile classics that some cars in barn-find condition fetch top dollar. However, the most sought-after condition is ‘preserved,’ which refers to cars that have been frozen in time in near-showroom condition, with minimal restoration. A preserved DeLorean DMC-12 has just been reintroduced to the modern world by the American Muscle Car Museum.
MyClassicCarTV is a YouTube channel that focuses on… well, classics, and a few days ago posted a video featuring an immaculate DeLorean DMC-12 in all its stainless-steel glory. The car in question is a 1981 model (VIN #6775) purchased in 1982 with only 35 miles on the odometer. It has since stayed with the American Muscle Car Museum, with a still staggeringly low 187 miles since new. It retains the same unique 2.8-liter Renault-derived V6, with the shockingly low 138 hp, which begs the question as to why it has a spot in a Muscle Car Museum.
The video in question was more of a test-drive showcase than anything else, and it highlighted the (first) good intentions of the DeLorean build, which was ultimately plagued by corner-cutting and backroom deals that dictated its doomed existence.
In retrospect, though, the DMC-12 nailed the brief completely in terms of looks; it balances the out-of-this-world look of the future (in 80s minds) without necessarily sacrificing a rather beautiful form. The gullwing doors add the final touch of timeless cool that wins over every automotive enthusiast.
Looks Great and That’s it…
As nice as it is to put on the rose-tinted specs and stroll down memory lane with the DMC-12, this car is not for sale. However, for the sake of argument, if you get inspired to buy one, it must be said that the DMC-12’s birth isn’t the only issue it comes with; the car itself is ripe with certain faults.
Many DeLorean owners report that the electronics are unreliable, the engine is severely underpowered, and, in some cases, the chassis rusts out due to poor build quality. That would be forgivable (somewhat) if parts were easy, but with a very short-lived life, only around 9,000 DMC-12’s were ever built.
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