When the DMC-12 first debuted for 1981, people with the means clamored to acquire one. Some early famous owners included Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Carson, both of whom invested in the company; John Taylor of Duran Duran bought one, as did Grace Slick and Skip Johnson of Jefferson Starship. Even country music singer George Jones was a longtime owner of a DMC-12, and in later years, Patrick Swayze bought one, having always wanted one. With a window sticker hovering in the $26,000 neighborhood when new and some dealers marking them up substantially, it wasn’t a car for the financially faint of heart. When John DeLorean founded the DeLorean Motor Company, the initial goal was to price the DMC-12 as slightly more expensive than the Chevrolet Corvette, but less than the Porsche 911SC, a market that was basically empty. But, thanks to various economies, the car debuted costing much more than originally anticipated, which caused some problems early on for the company. Today, finding a well-kept original example isn’t too difficult, but it’s not exactly easy either, which makes this 2,900-mile DeLorean particularly interesting. Having retained its original Certificate of Origin (MSO) until November 2021, when the selling family decided to let the car go, the buyer will be purchasing this car from the first registered owner. An early production example, as illustrated by the darker-colored wheels and matching center caps, the build started on March 2, 1981 and was completed on March 9; on April 19, 1981 it was among the first cars shipped to Long Beach, California. Always stored in a climate-controlled garage, the car is hugely well preserved and original, complete with items such as the original owner’s manual in the plastic folder, original EPA window decal, original starting procedures, original door opening instructions, original emissions warranty booklet, original consumer information booklet and the original maintenance schedule booklet. Complete with two sets of original keys, the car is also accompanied by the front license plate bracket and still new-in-the-box luggage rack, both never installed. It even has the original ski rack adapters and interior cargo net. The window sticker shows the original delivery dealership and the car retains its original factory body decals in the engine compartment, on the doors and in the trunk area. This DMC-12 is powered by Engine No. 000581 and Gearbox No. 000311, both shown to be matching numbers correct to the car. They are only original once, and this one, with its impressively low 2,900 miles, is still clinging to 1981.
