DeLorean

The DMC-12's gullwing doors are assisted by torsion bars and gas struts, allowing the large doors to be raised with manageable effort.

Beneath the stainless panels, the DMC-12 used a moulded composite body structure formed from two main bonded halves.

Museum sources record that roughly 9,000 DMC-12s were built during the factory's short operating life.

Main production at Dunmurry stopped at the end of May 1982, although some additional cars were later completed from remaining parts.

Series production of the DMC-12 at Dunmurry began in 1981.

In 1978, an agreement was reached to build DeLorean's Dunmurry factory in Northern Ireland specifically for the DMC-12 program.

DeLorean Motor Company entered receivership in February 1982 as the program's financial problems rapidly worsened.

The DMC-12's outer panels were made from brushed stainless steel left unpainted, becoming the car's most recognizable feature.

Lotus assisted in bringing the DMC-12 design to production readiness when the program needed rapid industrial development.

By the end of 1981, the factory had produced about 7,500 cars but sold roughly 3,000, creating a serious inventory and cash-flow problem.