DeLorean DMC-12 – 1981

DeLorean DMC-12 #BD001289 with automatic transmission, from the FIRST OWNER with extensive, original documentation present. Unique!

– Sourced from 1st owner from California
– Exceptionally high level of originality
– Early model with separate fuel filler cap in boot lid
– Driving project

The following original documentation is present with the car:
– Delivery invoice
– DMC car folder with various warranty certificates and maintenance instructions
– Owner’s manual
– Tax and insurance papers
– Maintenance bills ranging from 1980s to 2021
– Sales brochure

That iconic DeLorean DMC-12 is already special, but this one is completely unique. In fact, it is an exceptional original from the 1st owner, who owned the car for over 40 years! Not only has the car been well preserved in California, but also the original documentation is still present. From the original delivery invoice to manuals, warranty certificates and invoices, with this DeLorean you are not only buying a car, but also an exceptionally well-preserved story.

Developed by John DeLorean, the DMC is the ultimate 1980s style icon that books have been written about. The marque produced cars from January 1981 to mid-1983. The one we are offering was built in May 1981, making it an early-built example that was delivered on 13 September 1981 in sunny California (USA). The original registration plates are still present! The owner’s love and passion speaks for itself thanks to the careful preservation of the documentation. Even the tax and insurance papers have been preserved. The owner – ‘Charles Burke Maino’ – took possession of the car at the age of 39 and was a renowned doctor. His father was also a doctor and was known for founding a health organisation (Gould Medical Foundation) that still exists today. After the death of Charles Burke Maino, the DMC was insured in the name of his wife, who died in 2021. The DMC was then shipped to the Netherlands and the owners’ magnificent residence was sold in 2022 for $26,000,000. This house is located on a cliff in Carmel on the Pacific Ocean. A place where the DMC must have often been seen driving insane coastal roads. The DMC (short for DeLorean Motor Company) is still a timeless, striking model in which a unique driving experience is experienced. Optically, the car’s originality is evident from its beautiful patina. For instance, the seats are slightly worn and the bumpers have become faltering, but this is precisely what makes the car special. The car has remained damage-free and well-preserved. The engine compartment is dry and the car starts and drives. However, to make the DMC properly drivable, it will need a fully technical overhaul: the car hasn’t driven in the past years. Parts are readily available and DeLoreans are often bought by investors and collectors these days. In particular, this one with a well-documented history, one owner and in exceptionally original condition is an excellent choice for the future (Back to the Future)!

General information about the DeLorean DMC-12:
DeLorean is world-famous thanks to the 1985 film ‘Back to the Future’ in which the car acts as a time machine. But many books and series have also been realised about the brand’s flamboyant owner ‘John DeLorean’ and the creation of the DMC-12. John DeLorean was a successful engineer and businessman who had built his career up to vice-president of the then world’s largest car company General Motors. Partly because of his dream of developing his own car, he left the company in 1973. His desire was to build a highly special, affordable sports car that was ahead of its time and would last a long time. What followed was worldwide news. The design came from the hand of Italy’s Giugiaro and technically responsible was Colin Chaplin (founder of British car brand Lotus, which was very successful in racing at the time). The futuristic design is wide and low and the bodywork is made of stainless steel. What else stands out are the wing doors and the engine placed in the centre. This aluminium 2.8-litre 6-cylinder engine comes from Renault/Peugeot/Volvo.

Of the DMC-12, aimed at the US market, 30,000 units per year were to be built with a new-build price of $12,000 (this is what the 12 from DMC-12 refers to). After an arduous search for a place to produce the car, Northern Ireland was finally designated with the help of the British government. A place where unemployment was high at the time and there was a war between Protestants and Catholics. This gave the production of the DMC-12 an extra political dimension. Due to a change in the exchange rate of the British pound, the final new-build price was about double what was indicated beforehand. Despite about half a billion invested in taxpayers’ money from the British government, the lack of money remained a problem, eventually resulting in the brand’s bankruptcy after producing about 9,000 cars. Today, DeLorean is back in business. The website not only provides information on the DMC-12, it has even presented a new model: the Alpha 5. It was designed by Giugiaro and should go into production from 2024. The website says the following about the DMC-12: The DMC-12 was never meant to be a static interpretation of the brand, the brand would constantly evolve. Our icons are reimagined. DMC is and always was in constant evolution. An Icon is validated over time but to constantly reimagine mobility allows new icons to come into existence.