He arrived on October 21, 2015, exactly at 7:28 a.m. local time in Hill Valley, somewhere in the United States.
The DeLorean DMC-12, transformed into a time machine, became a pop culture icon thanks to the Back to the Future trilogy.
The DeLorean DMC-12 was developed by American designer John DeLorean, who had a long career at General Motors and was behind legendary models like the Pontiac Firebird. In the early 1970s, DeLorean decided to venture out and create his own car brand. In 1976, he completed the first prototype of what would become the DMC-12, which reached its final production version in 1981.
The design was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, one of the most celebrated automotive designers of the era. He was responsible for timeless shapes like the stunning De Tomaso Mangusta and the iconic Lamborghini Miura—whose rear window louvers clearly inspired those of the DeLorean.
Bold and futuristic, the car featured gull-wing doors and a stainless-steel body with no paint, leaving the brushed metal finish exposed.
Under the hood (or rather, in the rear), it housed a 3.0L V6 engine producing 141 horsepower—enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 9.5 seconds and reach a top speed of nearly 200 km/h (124 mph). The DMC-12 was offered with either a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission. With its rear-mounted engine, it didn’t need a driveshaft, similar to European sports cars.
Sophisticated for its time, the DMC-12 featured a high-end interior with extensive use of leather, air conditioning, and a premium sound system—which made it quite expensive. In 1981, it was priced at around $30,000. For comparison, the American sports car icon, the Chevrolet Corvette, cost only $13,000 and offered a 230-horsepower Small Block V8.
In the movie, the car’s underwhelming performance was part of the plot—Marty McFly had a hard time outrunning a VW Kombi just to hit 88 mph (140 km/h) and activate the flux capacitor for time travel.
The high price tag, John DeLorean’s legal troubles, and the car’s underpowered engine led to a short production run. Built only between 1981 and 1982, approximately 9,200 units were made.
Perhaps if it hadn’t been for Doc Brown’s eccentric decision to use “anything but an ordinary car” as his time machine, the DMC-12 might never have become the beloved icon it is today—coveted by collectors and enthusiasts around the world.