DeLorean Infographic: How Much Do You Really Know?

You might know it as one of the coolest vehicles ever built: the vehicle that transported Marty McFly into his many adventures through history in the Back to the Future movies. But how much do you really know about the DeLorean DMC-12?

FACT 1:

The hotly-anticipated DeLorean DMC-12 had many unique traits that caused it to stand out on the automotive scene in 1981. Key features included the impressive gullwing doors, an unpainted stainless-steel body, and rear-mounted engine.

FACT 2:

The DeLorean was chosen as the foundation for Doc Brown’s time machine because of its resemblance to an alien spaceship. The signature gullwing doors were a major contributor to the spacecraft look.

FACT 3:

Before the DeLorean was chosen, other concepts for the time machine included a room outfitted with a laser device, as well as the same device strapped to an old refrigerator. Robert Zemeckis, the movies’ director, decided against the fridge idea because he didn’t want to encourage children to climb inside refrigerators.

FACT 4:

Early versions of the time machine were considered “too perfect”. The final model was built to look as though it had been cobbled together in an eccentric scientist’s garage, using parts from hardware and electronics stores.

FACT 5:

The sound of the car revving wasn’t from a real DeLorean. Instead, a sound clip from a Porsche 928 was used when the time machine was preparing for “takeoff”.

FACT 6:

The car’s inventor, John DeLorean, wrote a personal letter to Robert Zemeckis and writer Rob Gale, to thank them for immortalizing his vehicle and securing it a place in automotive history.

FACT 7:

The gullwing doors were held open by gas-powered struts, which would fail when the car was iced down for shots when it had returned from time travel. Crew members would heat the doors with hair-dryers to keep them up, but this still resulted in the doors falling on the cast during filming.

FACT 8:

For the off-roading desert scenes in Back to the Future II, two of the cars were built using special dune buggy chassis and Volkswagen engines.

FACT 9:

Vintage DeLoreans – some with body kits to resemble the time machine version – can still be found on the used car market, and never-driven ones are available from selected dealerships in the U.S. The DeLorean Motor Company is also planning for the production of a new line of the iconic cars. They also sell DeLorean-branded luggage!