The
DeLorean DMC-12 (commonly referred to simply as
the DeLorean as it was the only model ever produced by the company) is a
sports car manufactured by
John DeLorean's
DeLorean Motor Company for the American market from 1981–83. The car features
gull-wing doors and an innovative fiberglass chassis and underbody structure, along with a brushed
stainless steel body. The car became widely known and iconic for its appearance and was
modified as a time machine in the
Back to the Future film trilogy''. The first prototype appeared in October 1976, and production officially began in 1981 in
Dunmurry, a suburb of south west
Belfast, Northern Ireland (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on January 21). During its production, several features of the car were changed, such as the hood style, wheels and interior. Approximately 9,000 DMC-12s were made before production halted in early 1983.