The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was founded in 1975 by former General Motors executive John De Lorean. The goal of the project was to produce a stainless sports car.
The history of the DeLorean Motor Company
Dunmurry in Northern Ireland was chosen as the production site by the DeLorean Motor Company for cost reasons. At the time, Northern Ireland suffered from high unemployment and production costs were significantly lower than in the US, the founders home country. Another reason for choosing Ireland were tax benefits offered by the Irish government. In addition, the British government joined the project as a main investor. Sales of the DeLorean DMC-12 started out well with 20,000 pre-orders, and famous investors such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Carson served as great early PR for the brand. The crisis of the automotive industry in 1980/1981 resulted in a sharp drop in demand for luxury sports cars and DeLorean suddenly faced dwindling revenue and falling demand. After receiving a one-time credit from the British government, the company filed for bankruptcy.
The legendary DeLorean DMC-12
The name DMC-12 refers to the name of the company, DeLorean Motor Company, as well as the price that was initially targeted, namely $12,000. While neither the production quality nor the driving performance could hold up to this price, sales numbers spoke another language entirely. Over the short period of only 21 months, about 9,200 DMC-12 were produced. The popular old-timer was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who is responsible for the eye-catching style of the car. Brushed and unpainted stainless steel, gull-wing doors, and a wedge shape were a unique and modern look. Through appearances in several TV shows and movies, such as “Back to the Future”, the DeLorean soon reached the cult status it still enjoys today. The car was powered by a 132 BHP engine and had a top speed 198 kph. The cult status and the low number of produced cars make the DMC-12 a coveted collector's item.
The DeLorean Logo
The DeLorean Logo shows the company’s initials: DMC. What makes the logo special is that the D and the C are practically the same letter but flipped over a vertical axis. This means the logo can be mirrored through the centre of the 'M'.