1982 DeLorean DMC-12

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 140 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to the DeLorean's accident-and-damage-free, low-mileage Carfax history report, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“… stainless steel gull-winged wedge….” -Automobile Magazine, August 2020

The Automobile Magazine writer, Conner Golden, continued: “Development for the DeLorean began in the mid-1970s, with the first prototype appearing in 1976, and the first production cars in 1980 after a raft of development issues. It really was an international effort; Italian superstar designer Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the raked body, while DMC sought engineering expertise from Lotus founder and racing legend Colin Chapman. Power came from the rear-mounted Peugeot-Renault-Volvo (PRV) V-6, making this an Italian designed, British-engineered American car built in Ireland with a Franco-Swedish heart powering the whole thing.”

“Immediately, the DeLorean established itself as one of the most aesthetically distinctive cars on the market. With the exception of five gold-plated examples, every DeLorean left the factory sans paint or finisher of any kind, instead wearing its raw stainless steel body panels proudly. The dull silver finish gave it a striking look, and was a defining feature—plus, small scratches could be buffed out with sandpaper. The mid-century Mercedes-Benz 300SL made gullwing doors famous, but the DeLorean and its subsequent status as a Hollywood icon cemented those upward-hinged doors as a defining DeLorean trait.”

Offered here is a 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 in stainless steel over gray. Showing 34,391 miles on its odometer, the car has traveled fewer than 1,000 miles per-year on average since new. An icon of the Eighties, this low-mileage, 5-speed manual DeLorean is fully operational, including its bespoke gull-wing doors.

The exterior stainless-steel body panels appear to have aged very well. Aside from some minor dings, the stainless-steel surface finish is free of major imperfections; body panels are straight, properly aligned, and free of damage. (To best assess the quality of the exterior and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Plastic cladding over both bumpers is in well-maintained condition with some surface degradation noted near the hood. The lower-front spoiler, rear-window slats, and body-side rub strips are all undamaged. Lighting lenses on the quad, rectangular headlights and tri-color taillights are clear and free of cracks; cabin glass is also undamaged. Factory badging, limited to “DMC” emblems in the grille, atop the hood, and “DeLorean” embossed in the rear bumper, is all in place. Original turbo-fan-design, 4-lug, 14-inch wheels are mounted with Cooper® 195/60 tires.

The car's interior features stitched gray leather on seat upholstery, door trim, dashboard, and console surfaces. The overall condition of the leather is excellent with minor wear at the top of the driver's seat-back. The dashboard surface is uncracked and unfaded. A black, 3-spoke steering wheel frames the comprehensive analog instrument display behind clear plastic. Included are a government-mandated 85-mph speedometer, 6,500-rpm-redline tachometer and four engine monitoring gauges. The center stack includes heating and air-conditioning controls and an upgraded Pioneer® audio head unit in the factory-radio location ahead of the console-mounted shift lever for the 5-speed manual transmission. Charcoal-gray carpeting (with carpet mats edged in yellow) covers the cabin floors as well as the floor in the forward cargo area. Additional space for gear is located behind the seats and secured with a cargo net.

Under the rear-deck lid, the 2.8-liter, Peugeot-Renault-Volvo (PRV) V6 is the center of a complete, clean, and well-maintained engine bay. Power steering was non existent from the factory, but this car has been retrofitted with a fully operations power steering system which is must and well accepted by enthusiasts. All components—including air conditioning—are properly mounted with no modifications noted. Viewed from below, the chassis is straight and undamaged with all protective covers properly in place.

The DeLorean's original build and identification tags remain in place.

While the more than 140 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '82 DeLorean in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

Few cars better capture the essence of the decade of the Eighties as well as a DeLorean. Even without John DeLorean's personal issues, and setting aside the car's memorable movie role, the DeLorean DMC was a one-of-a-kind design statement. With only 9,000 ever produced, it's also a highly collectible bit of automotive history.