An exceptional piece of American automobile history will go under the hammer at the Berlin, Germany-based online auction house Auctionata on June 26, 2015: A 1982 DeLorean DMC-12, originally owned by the former top manager of General Motors and great visionary John DeLorean.
The offered vehicle was a gift from John DeLorean to his wife, top model and actress Cristina Ferrare, whom he married in 1973. In 1985, the DMC-12 found a new owner. The mileage as listed amounts to only 13,540 miles. The original purchase contract and maintenance documents are still available. Now, collectors will have the unique opportunity to acquire this rare vehicle, which is known for its turbulent history, in the livestream auction "Classic Cars."
In 1973, John DeLorean left General Motors to form his own company, the DeLorean Motor Company, and to realize his vision of producing a safe, ethical and ecologically responsible automobile. The only model that was ever produced was the two-seater sports car "DeLorean DMC-12", which was manufactured for the American market from 1981 until 1983 in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. During this period, about 9,200 DMC-12s were produced.
The first prototype was celebrated as a sensation with its gull-wing doors and an innovative fiberglass chassis and underbody structure, along with a brushed stainless steel body. Before the start of the production, as many as 20,000 orders had already been placed. However, because of its heavy weight and less powerful engine, the vehicle was not able to keep up with its competitors such as the Chevrolet Corvette or Porsche 911. Meanwhile, the U.S. car market had gone through its largest slump since the 1930s and the DeLorean Motor Company went into liquidation in February 1982.
Despite its commercial failure, the DeLorean remains unforgotten in its role as the time machine in the blockbuster "Back to the Future" film series. With the help of a nuclear reactor and its flux capacitor, the DeLorean took the nuclear scientist Doc Brown and his friend Marty McFly on a journey through time.
As predicted by the movie, the car now returns in the year 2015 and will be offered with a starting price of €34,000 ($38,290). The auction will be broadcast via livestream on www.auctionata.com and will give bidders worldwide the opportunity to bid live on this unique vehicle.
