Delorean Alpine test mule comes to the market
An Alpine A310 believed to have been used as a test mule for the Delorean DMC-12 is being oered for sale in Birmingham.
Four identical Alpines – chassis numbers 45121-124 – were all painted in Renault Gris Galaxie metallic before being shipped from Dieppe to Belfast. The cars were also speci ed from the factory with fuel injection, unlike their production cousins that used carburettors.
Once in the hands of the ill-fated former Detroit motor executive, Delorean shipped two of the French mid-engine sports cars over to Legend Industries in Long Island USA as the basis for the turbocharged DMC-12 that sadly never happened. The other remaining cars in the UK spent most of their time at Lotus HQ in Hethel where the DMC-12’S running gear was being developed using an Esprit’s backbone chassis. These two UK cars can apparently be seen in development snapshots from the period.
This car, chassis 45121, is the rst of the four ‘Delorean’ A310s, and is being advertised for £12,995. The car was registered in Northern Ireland shortly before Delorean imploded in 1982, presumably after being sold o to help hold of the receivers. It was uncovered some time later in a sorry state in a barn and bought with the intention of bringing it back to its former glory.
The owner didn’t get much beyond the dismantling phase but taking the body back to its base coat before close inspection showed little to no sign of damage, once again according to the vendor. The chassis and its components have also apparently been blasted and power coated.
Much of the running gear has been shot blasted, painted and refreshed with new bushes and even some new parts included in the sale, such as tubular exhaust manifolds. The car is apparently only missing one driveshaft, which the vendor says that he can unearth. 07956 495773
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