October 21, 2015

Back To The Future Day

October 21st 2015 is the date that Marty McFly visited in Back to the Future Part 2. The film’s time machine was the DeLorean DMC-12, did the car stand the test of time?

Production of the car had ceased in 1983 and so its number was already well and truly up by the time the films were released. Far from the planned 30,000 cars per year rolling out of the purpose-built factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, just 9,200 had been made in total, many of them with disappointing quality and not one of them according to the revolutionary ideas of the company’s founder John Z DeLorean.

Although the DeLorean that came to market in 1981 looked superficially similar to the prototype that was first fired up in 1976, it was actually a very different beast. The unique stainless steel body and distinctive gull-wing doors remained (the motive for it being chosen for the Back To The Future films) but its engine was now mounted behind the rear axle line instead of ahead of it.

After initially strong sales, the combination of its high price ($25,000), poor performance and critical reception saw demand turn down, a position from which the car would never recover.

Today, the stainless steel panels remained but the inside is terribly dated.

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