1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Will Give You Time-Travel Dreams, Also Has a Twin-Turbo Secret

For those with a penchant for science fiction action comedy, the Back to the Future franchise obviously has a third star alongside high school student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd). That would be the latter’s time machine, a modified DMC DeLorean.

Unfortunately for the late John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) – now resurrected as a different entity and with modern dreams of the EV variety – the DMC-12 rear-engine two-passenger sports car was too short-lived to profit from the hype generated by the Hollywood franchise. This is because the first movie came out in 1985, and by then production had already ceased for a couple of years.

Luckily, some people foreshadowed the cult following for this odd, gull-winged sports car that was neither too fast nor too reliable. And some of them tucked away the stainless-steel goodies for a later appearance. One of them probably decided now is the right time to part ways, and a 1981 example now proudly resides in the inventory of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors with some stunning specifications.

For starters, it’s an origin, 1981 model year unit. Secondly, it has had just one owner for the past four decades. Third, it has a mere 3,310 original miles on the odometer, which equates to just 5,327 km. Fourth, there are a few juicy secrets tucked away with the initial dealer order. Among them, is the notice that we are dealing with a dealer-installed twin-turbo kit for the meager, 130-hp 2.85-liter V6 engine. Plus, the stripe kit, ground effects accessories, and the spoiler were also installed back then.

Alas, as always, there is also one major issue: pricing. So, here is the bomb – the asking quotation stands at exactly $104,900!