✦ Shifty Estimate
$63,000
- 12 months median
- $60K
- Market cap
- $567M · 9,000 built
- Sales, 12 months
- 5
- Original MSRP
- $25,000 · ▲ 152% since
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1981 DeLorean DMC-12
1981 to 1983 · Coupe · 9,000 built
Price history
Recent sales
More sales on file
The full sale history lives in the app.
Every sale for this exact market, with the chassis behind each number. Drop your email and you are first in.
Specifications
- Engine
- V6, 2.8
- Power
- 130 hp
- Torque
- 153 lb-ft
- 0 to 60
- 10.5s
- Top speed
- 110 mph
- Transmission
- Manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Curb weight
- 2,712 lb
- Production
- 9,000 units
- Original MSRP
- $25,000
- Designer
- Giorgetto Giugiaro
Common questions
How much does a DeLorean DMC-12 cost?
A 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 cost $25,000 new. Over the past 12 months, 5 have sold publicly at a median of $60,000. The Shifty Estimate for a well-kept example is $63,000. Cars have changed hands anywhere from $52,700 to $72,450, depending on mileage, color, and history.
What is a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 worth today?
The Shifty Estimate is $63,000. We rate confidence medium: 5 public sales in a year is a thin market, and the spread between them is wide.
Is a DeLorean DMC-12 a good investment?
It has appreciated 152% against its $25,000 list price. Only 9,000 were built. The caution is spread, not direction: across the sales we have on file, prices ran from $44,000 to $132,000, and mileage explains most of that.
What has a DeLorean DMC-12 sold for at auction?
The 3 most recent public sales we have on file:
- $65,001Jul 28, 2026Unfinished stainless steel · 9,000 mi
- $56,000Jul 20, 2026Unfinished stainless steel · 16,000 mi
- $60,000Jul 3, 2026Unfinished stainless steel · 25,000 mi
The DMC-12 remains one of automotive history's most fascinating contradictions—a supercar that looked the part but couldn't deliver the performance. Giugiaro's wedge design and those iconic gullwing doors made it instantly recognizable, while the brushed stainless steel body eliminated paint concerns forever. The Lotus-derived chassis was competent, but the 130-horsepower PRV V6 left it underpowered and slow. Only 9,000 were built during DeLorean's brief three-year run before the company's spectacular collapse amid scandal. 'Back to the Future' immortalized it in popular culture, transforming a commercial failure into a cultural icon. Manual examples are increasingly sought after by collectors who appreciate the car's unique place in automotive history. Values have climbed steadily as '80s nostalgia peaks, making clean examples solid investments despite their modest performance credentials.