1981 Delorean DMC-12

Almost every DeLorean carries a story that isn't really about the car. This one's is simpler: a man bought it in 1989 and kept it for thirty-six years.

This 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 was purchased in 1989 by the current owner and was the subject of a refurbishment carried out over several months in 2007 at a cost of over $23,000. A decade later, additional service was performed totaling over $12,000. The car shows 31,000 miles and has spent a total of thirty-five years in California. Power comes from a rear-mounted 2.85-liter V6 paired with a five-speed manual transaxle. It is offered on dealer consignment at no reserve with service records dating back to September 2007, a clean Carfax report, and a clean California title.

Exterior

The Giugiaro-designed unfinished stainless steel bodywork is fitted over a composite underbody and a Lotus-derived double-Y steel backbone chassis. Distinguishing features include gray urethane bumper caps, counterbalanced gullwing doors, a louvered engine cover, dual exhaust outlets, black side stripes and moldings, quadruple headlights, and a front spoiler. Right-rear damage was repaired in November 2008, and the roof was refinished in 2017.

Wheels, Suspension & Brakes

Staggered-diameter 14" and 15" turbine-style aluminum wheels are mounted with 195/60 front and 225/60 rear Fuzion tires. The wheels were powder-coated in 2017, part of work totaling over $12,000 that also included replacing various suspension, steering, and braking components. Four-wheel disc brakes are fitted.

Interior

The high-back bucket seats were recovered in gray leather in 2007, at which time the carpeting was also replaced. Interior equipment includes a Sony Xplod CDX-R3000 stereo, air conditioning, power-operated windows, and central locking. A three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel is mounted on a tilting and telescoping column and frames an 85-mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 6,500-rpm redline, alongside gauges for voltage, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and fuel level.

Engine & Drivetrain

The rear-mounted 2.85-liter Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 was factory rated at 130 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transaxle. Work performed between September and November of 2007 at a cost of over $23,000 included overhauling the fuel system.

Note: Additional details including VIN, service records, and further photography will be provided to serious inquiries.