Daily Star Sunday

Get smarty on movie Marty’s favourite car

-

The first DMC DeLorean rolled off the production line on January

21, 1981. It was the brainchild of US motor mogul John DeLorean, a former General

Motors executive.

Its revolution­ary shape had been designed by Italian

Giorgetto

Giugiaro, who was also the man behind the

Lotus Esprit and Volkswagen Golf.

The cars were built near Belfast, thanks to a

£54million deal with the British Government to provide jobs in an area of high unemployme­nt. Celebrity backers included Sammy Davis Jr and chat-show king Johnny Carson.

The DMC-12 was supposed to retail at

$12,000. But spiralling costs meant it hit the market at double that figure.

Known for its gull-wing doors, the moulds to make them were later thrown into the sea and used as anchors for fishing nets. The two-seater car wasn’t painted but had unique brushed steel body work. DeLorean also produced three gold-plated cars for a special American Express promotion.

In 1985 film Back To The Future, Marty McFly has to drive the car at

88mph to turn Doc Brown’s invention into a time machine. In truth its speedo only went to 85mph!

Instead of a nuclear

“flux capacitor” the real DeLorean had underpower­ed

V6 Renault rear engine, taking it up to 60mph in a modest 8.8 seconds.

Thanks to a recession in the United States and production delays, the car company went bankrupt in 1982. The DMC-12 was also plagued by poor build quality and various mechanical issues – those cool doors sometimes stuck fast.

It didn’t help that John DeLorean himself was caught up in a drugs scandal. He was acquitted, thanks to claims of police entrapment, but joked, “Would you buy a used car from me?’ as he left court. Later declared personally bankrupt, he died aged 80, in 2005. A DeLorean is featured on his gravestone.

IT’S the four-wheeled star of the Back To The Future films that was truly ahead of its time…

The DeLorean car, best known for its incredible time-travel abilities in the movies starring Michael J. Fox, is turning 40.

But how much do you really know about the much-loved classic sports machine?

Our JAMES MOORE has got revved up to bring us 15 fascinatin­g facts about the retro favourite…

DMC planned to make 20,000 cars a year, but only 9,000 – and just 16 right hand drive versions – were ever made. Around 6,000 DeLoreans still exist and will set you back about £40,000. US Singer will.i.am owned a customised one, while another fan has built a DeLorean monster truck and limousine.

Six DeLorean cars were used to make the Back To The Future movies, along with one that was built entirely out of fibreglass for use in the flying scenes. It has been voted the best fictional gadget ever and one of the originals now has pride of place in an American museum.

A new company called DMC Texas is planning to make new upgraded models that will cost more than £70,000. It already has a long waiting list…

 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom