There are a number of cars that have become iconic thanks to Hollywood blockbusters. Right up there with the Batmobile, Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, there are few better examples of historic film autos than the DeLorean DCM-12.
As the centerpiece of the Back to the Future trilogy, the fiberglass and stainless steel sports car has traveled from the 1980s to the 50s, and even back to the days of the Old West.
Fans have followed its fantastic time travels and no doubt dreamed of what it would be like to own one for themselves. Even without the purely fictional, decade-jumping flux capacitor, a DeLorean DCM-12 is a notoriously difficult vehicle to get a hold of. Only 9,000 were produced in the 1980s.
As the auto’s popularity peaked, waned, and rose again with the recent pass of “Back to the Future Day” (October 21st, 2015), there was little hope of ever getting to take a ride in a functional DeLorean, let alone own one.
Soon that may not be the case, as the DeLorean Motor Company resumes production of the DCM-12 and it will happen here in the U.S.A.
What’s Really Brought The DeLorean Back?
The next generation of the gullwinged sports car will be manufactured in Humble, Texas. Formeraly made in Belfast, Northern Ireland, this will be the first time the cars will be made in America.
The new DeLoreans will be replicas of the 1982 DCM-12s. While it seems like a resurgence popularity in the Back to the Future films may be behind the revival, the replicas are more related to a new allowance from the U.S. Federal Government.
The 2015 Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 was recently passed, and with it the allowance for auto manufacturers to build a yearly maximum of 325 replica cars that are exempt from certain modern safety regulations.
That doesn’t mean the DeLorean Motor Company can build the new DCM-12 exactly as it was made in the early 1980s. The new autos still have to meet with current EPA standards, and that means they will have to be adapted to fit a new engine—perhaps even an electric version.
Rare But Not For An Unreasonable Price
The limited production will still make these cars tough to get hold of, but the price will not be as astronomical as one might expect. Depending on the engine that the DeLorean Motor Company chooses to install in the next generation, the DCM-12 is reported to stay under $100,000. If you’re interested in owning one, you may be able to get your own as early as 2017.
Would you want to take a ride in a new DeLorean, even if you can’t do much time traveling?
Are you happy to hear this iconic car will be revived here in the U.S.?
Article Sources:
http://www.click2houston.com
http://time.com
http://arstechnica.com
