Starting in 1956, John Z. DeLorean quickly rose through the ranks at General Motors, becoming the youngest head of a division, Pontiac, at age 40 and eventually reaching the level of vice president. However, his flashy lifestyle clashed with GM’s conservative corporate culture. Realizing the presidency was likely out of reach, DeLorean left GM in 1973. A talented engineer and salesman, he set out to pursue his dream of building his own sports car. Enter the DeLorean Motor Company, founded in 1975.

Manufactured in Northern Ireland from 1981 through 1983, the DMC-12 was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. It features an iconic design with outer body panels of brushed stainless steel and distinctive “gull-wing” doors that swing upward. The rear, mid-engine chassis and suspension were largely based on the Lotus Esprit. Powered by a 2.85-liter fuel-injected V-6 engine produced by Peugeot-Renault-Volvo, it is estimated that some 9,000 examples of the DMC-12 were produced.

This DeLorean DMC-12 left the factory in April of 1981 with a Black interior and a five-speed manual transmission. According to the window sticker on file, it was then shipped to the United States to the Port of Long Beach and trucked to a dealership in Two Harbors, Minnesota.

Just 10,484 miles appeared on the odometer as of cataloguing time. In 2017, Orlando-based DeLorean specialist DMC Florida overhauled the fuel and braking systems and replaced the window regulators and switches, thereby remedying many of the known issues common to these cars. Under current ownership since 2018, this DMC-12 is accompanied by an owner’s handbook, a collection of articles, invoices, and the window sticker.

The DeLorean DMC-12 enjoys a mythical status in the automotive world as one of the most iconic cars of the last century, making this low-mileage example an excellent choice for enthusiasts of later-model classics and discerning collectors seeking a 1980s automotive icon to add to their collection.