The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car manufactured by John DeLorean Motor Company for the American market from 1981–83. The car features gullwing doors and an innovative fiberglass body structure with a steel backbone chassis, along with external brushed stainless steel body panels. The car became widely known and iconic for its appearance and was modified as a time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy.
The first prototype appeared in October 1976. Production officially began in 1981 in Dummurry, in Northern Ireland. Over the course of production, several features of the car were changed, such as the hood style, wheels and interior. About 9,000 DMC-12s were made before production halted in early 1983.
The DMC-12 was the only model produced by the company, which was later liquidated as the US car market went through its largest slump since the 1930s. In 2007, about 6,500 DeLorean Motor cars were believed still to exist.