Your questions are answered:

Here is a collection of common questions that I get, along with the appropriate answers.

Q: How many DeLoreans were made and for how long?
A: No one knows for sure. When DeLorean Motor Company was shut down in 1982, records on vehicle production were lost (or perhaps not even maintained at all!). A number of around 8500-9200 is generally accepted as the total number of DeLoreans produced.

DeLoreans were manufacturered for one and a half years (mid 1981 to the end of 1982). During this time, there were three model years made: 1981, 1982, and 1983.

Q: Did John DeLorean have any experience building cars?
A: Very much so, in fact, it's pretty much all that he ever did. DeLorean got his start at Packard, then promptly moved to GM's Pontiac division as assistant chief engineer before Packard went under. DeLorean was soon promoted to chief engineer of Pontiac and in 1964 with the help of Pontiac's General Manager (who kept management's eyes off of his secret project), created a car called the GTO, kick-starting the era of the "muscle car." GM management was furious, as they were trying to lose Pontiac's racing image, but soon forgave DeLorean when the GTO began selling like crazy and turned the previously ailing Pontiac division into a money tree.

DeLorean was promoted to general manager of Chevrolet, then to VP of GM's entire North American division. He then quit (some say he was fired) to form his own company soon after that.

Q: How much did a DeLorean originally cost and how much do they cost now?
A: The introductory price of the DeLorean was $25,000. Initial response was quite good and many DeLoreans sold for over list price. However, as inventory began to build up in 1982 (and after Consolidated bought the remaining DMC inventory in 1983), the price plummeted to around $15,000.

Today, the average price for a 'fair' car is proabably around $17,500. Of course, expect to dump more money and plenty of labor into the car to bring it up to 'excellent' condition. A 'good' car will run $20k and a 'nice' car will fetch $25k-$30k and up. And if doing the restoration work yourself doesn't fancy you, several of the DeLorean shops sell completely refurbished models.

Q: Why did DMC stop making the car?
A: The factory was closed by the British government when the company defaulted on loans in 1982 and was put into receivership (bankruptcy reorganization) immediately following the arrest of John DeLorean in Los Angeles. There were claims that the car wasn't selling well, as well as claims that the car had years of orders already in queue. At any rate, the last DeLorean rolled off the assembly line on Christmas Eve, 1982. The stainless steel dies were sold by their owner, Thyssen GmbH & Co., to a fishing company as scrap and promptly converted into a fish home in the Atlantic Ocean, putting the final nail in the coffin of the DeLorean automobile.

Q: Do you have a problem finding parts for that?
A: This is without a doubt the most common question and the easiest to answer: not really. Luckily for DeLorean owners, since the factory was simply shut down one day, a vast quantity of parts were sitting in the factory ready to build another few thousand cars. There are a handful of vendors that offer an array of NOS parts and services, even new and improved parts that outperform shoddy original designs or depleted stock. I highly recommend DeLorean Motor Company (Houston) and P.J. Grady, Inc.; I've used both throughout the years and they are fantastic.

Now, this is not to say that every part is available, but for the most part, DeLorean owners are a lucky lot when it comes to 25-year old orphan cars. Q: What do you do when it breaks?
A: Unless you live near a DeLorean specialty shop, you're on your own. Since I live nowhere near a DeLorean shop, hauling the car to one on every occasion that something goes awry is simply not an option. Luckliy, I enjoy and am not scared of performing my own repairs. As the saying goes, "If you want the job done right, you have to do it yourself." My philosphy is that for the price I'd pay a shopt to do the work, I can, in most every instance, cover the cost of the parts AND any special equipment to do the job myself and STILL come out ahead. And that's why my garage is starting to look like an auto repair shop, I guess...

However, if self service doesn't fancy you, ask around for a reputable foreign car specialist. Try a Volvo shop first (but not the dealer). My own casual survey over the years has resulted in very few local shops willing to service a DeLorean, many whom I would never let touch my car anyway. The truth of the matter is that a DeLorean is really just like any other car underneath. They are also quite reliable if properly maintained, but these cars are approaching 25 years old and many original parts will certainly break due to age.

Q: Where do you find a DeLorean for sale?
A: Like any other car, a good place to start is in your local classifieds section where you'll find one from time to time in larger cities. Hemmings Motor News always has a few as well. The Internet is a wonderful resource - try DMC News (on the links section) for a list of cars for sale from private parties. Also, if you're wanting a DeLorean working and ready to go from day one, you can buy a completely refurbished one from one of a handful of DeLorean specialty shops (also in the links section).

It's good to do your homework before getting serious about buying a DeLorean. While every DeLorean *can* be a reliable daily driver, many won't be able to get to that point until much work is done. But as my friend Robert (also a DeLorean owner) says, "It's nothing a little time and money won't fix."

Q: Were they all silver?
A: All DeLorean automobiles left the factory in unfinished brushed 304-grade stainless steel, with the exception of three. A number of dealers painted the cars for various reasons. Additionally, many owners have painted their cars, one common reason being to cover body panel damage, since stainless steel is harder to repair properly than regular steel or aluminum-paneled vehicles. The three exceptions were the two 24k gold plated vehicles which were produced as a promotion for the American Express Gold Card Christmas catalog in 1981, where AMEX Gold Card holders could purchase a gold-plated DeLorean, of which only two did. Also, the final DeLorean ever produced used the spare set of gold-plated panels.

Q: Didn't these cars have a Chevy engine?
A: No. All DeLoreans utilized the Volvo "PRV" (B28F) engine, the V6 2.8 Litre engine used in Volvos, Peugeots, and Renault vehicles of the era. One car on this list that was imported to the US was the Volvo 280 GLE.

What could have been (but luckily, wasn't): the interior of the first DeLorean prototype.

The interior of production cars... at least the gray manuals.

Q: It looks fast. Is it?
A: Fast? No, though it makes up for that with handling. The 2.8L engine is a bit underpowered for this 2712 pound car and on a good day it delivers a mediocre 130hp (at the flywheel!) at just under red-lining. Stainless steel is not much heavier than tradtional carbon steel, making the car not overly-heavy, but too heavy for the PRV-6. With it's 35/65 weight distribution and Lotus-designed low-slung profile, the DeLorean can handle curves quite well. And if the 130hp engine seems weak, there are a host of modifications that you can do, starting with high-performance cam shafts and a free-flow exhaust and going up to forged pistons with turbo or even dumping the K-Jetronic for EFI. Afterall, other vehicles that are considerably more powerful used the same basic engine!

Q: How do you clean it?
A: Just like any other car: with regular car shampoo and a sponge. However, the DeLorean is more forgiving - heavy stains can be cleaned with dishwasher detergent, or even rubbing alcohol, gasoline or mineral spirits (that one's even in the owners manual!) Since the stainless steel is brushed, ScotchBrite (NOT Brillo!) pads or the specially-designed "blending pad" can be used to scrub out stubborn stains or tar.

Q: Weren't these cars made by General Motors (GM)?
A: No. The DeLorean was manufactured by DeLorean Motor Company and assembled at their facility in Dunmurray (Belfast), Northern Ireland. The majority of components in the DeLorean are from European origin.

Q: Is he (John DeLorean) still in prison?
A: Aside from a brief time spent arranging bail, John DeLorean never went to prison and was aquitted of all charges related to his arrest for conspiracy to launder money.

Mr. DeLorean passed away on March 19, 2005.

Q: Were the drugs hidden in the [insert some part of the car]?
A: No!

Q: Who designed the DeLorean?
A: The DeLorean was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design. In addition to the DeLorean, Giugiaro is credited with a sizeable list of production vehicles including the original Lotus Esprit, Volkswagen Scirocco, BMW M1, and many mostly-foreign models from Mazerati and Fiat.

The engineering work of the DeLorean was performed by Lotus Group in England. Though Bill Collins was the car's original chief engineer and created two prototypes of his work, DeLorean later outsourced the engineering tasks to Lotus to get the car out the door as quickly as possible. Lotus managed to design the car in 18 months.