Look at the Wheels on That: De Lorean
 Look at the Wheels on That: De Lorean DMC-12 17 May 2007 It might be better known as the Doc's creation in Back to the Future, but the De Lorean DMC-12 had a past every bit as wacky as the Marty McFly's adventures.
Stuart Milne loves an underdog, and reckons the DMC-12 was a car built with the odds stacked firmly against it.
John Zachary De Lorean might have worked his way up to the top of the General Motors empire, and the brains behind the legendary Pontiac GTO muscle car, but he's more famous for setting up the company which bore his name.
And of course, an alleged drug smuggling plot.
But that's not important for petrolheads and fans of the Back to the Future trilogy. His real lasting legacy was a space age supercar, which immediately caught the mood of the nation.
It was an extravagant looking machine, designed by Italian maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro – voted Car Designer of the Century in 1999 – and made entirely of brushed stainless steel. It still looks sensational more than 25 years on.
Of course, those crazy gullwing doors helped, too.
The DMC-12 was originally planned to feature a rear-mounted rotary engine, but instability in the
This engine fell short of the 200bhp John Z had benchmarked, with the units producing just 170bhp. But things were to get worse, because after strapping on the catalytic converters necessary to make it green enough for the American market, power trickled away to just 130bhp.
Bumph from the manufacturer said it would hit 60mph in 8.8 seconds, but magazines testing the car struggled to get the figure under 10.5 seconds.
Roadtesters noted at the time there were plenty of other sportscars of a similar price which could blow the DMC-12 into the weeds. And with a price tag equivalent of more than £31,000 in today's money, it had some serious competition.
So it's no surprise they fetch far more than other coupés of the day – you need to set aside upwards of £16,000 for a good one. But even though they're a rare sight, there's plenty of information online, with some enthusiast clubs and fansites.
Sadly, at the end De Lorean was losing money hand over fist, and its founder found himself caught in a maelstrom of dodgy financial dealings and an alleged cocaine smuggling plot.
Although he has cleared of any wrongdoing, the damage was done and the company ended up in receivership. De Lorean died in 2005, but his entrepreneurial spirit continued to the end – he was working on a company to sell exclusive wristwatches.
L.A.T.W.O.T. Video of the week
With such a following of the Back to the Future films, it's hardly surprising there are a few film replicas about. This guy has built his own.
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In 1981 the first DMC-12 rolled off the production line in Dunmurry, near 
But despite that, around 9,000 DMC-12s found homes between 1981 and 1983; and around 6,000 are still in existence. And that number isn't likely to diminish much further, since the cars have built a huge cult following.Page 1
