Recently I was asked "what production specification is the most rare?" Rather than go off anecdotal comments from over the years, I took some time and researched it. By reviewing factory records held by the DeLorean Museum, it was confirmed that the gas hoods ended at VIN 3200 and that six gray interior cars were built as a trial in early July 1981 as VINs BD002436 through VIN BD002441 - the first three were automatic and the second three were manual. These cars were shipped to the USA in mid-July 1981.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 3
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 3
From that point, gray interior cars were not built again until VIN BD002973 - a manual transmission - on August 17, 1981. This identical specification was built for and continued as gray/manual for the next 60 cars, through VIN BD003032.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 3
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 63
Starting at BD003033, the factory started building gray/automatic cars through VIN BD003112 - another 80 cars.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 83
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 63
At BD003113 they were back to gray/manual for another 87 cars through BD003200, where the gas flaps were discontinued in favor of the lined/no flap hoods.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 83
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 150
So, out of 8,987 cars built, only 83 cars were built to the gray/automatic/gas flap specification - or about 0.9%. How many of these 83 gray/automatic/gas flap cars are left is unknown, but figuring an attrition rate of 30% over the past 40 years would mean about 53 of these cars may be left today. Below is a list of the VINs for these 83 cars - is yours on this list? Let me know!
What about the gold cars? I discount those as production cars due to the fact that these cars were not sold or offered by DeLorean dealers and were in fact sold by DMC prior to the car even being in production. You could not go into a dealership and buy one in 1981.
How about the Middle East cars? By most accounts there were 50 of them, all but one (perhaps) were 1982 models with automatic transmissions and flat hoods. These were assembled using many leftover, discontinued or superseded parts including early style carpets, dark grey wheels, front fender mounted antennas, Ducellier alternators and Craig radios for example. Basically, the cars used obsolete stock for these non-US market cars, which were never imported to the USA as new or sold in the USA. I discount these cars as they were an unintended factory spec, essentially built using these obsolete parts to reserve the latest specification parts for the primary US-market cars. That's not to say the Middle East cars aren't an interesting "asterisk" in the DeLorean production history, far from it - but one can infer from factory records that had the company been on more sound financial footing, these cars would have been built to the latest factory spec in terms of fenders, antennas, alternators, radios, etc.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 3
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 3
From that point, gray interior cars were not built again until VIN BD002973 - a manual transmission - on August 17, 1981. This identical specification was built for and continued as gray/manual for the next 60 cars, through VIN BD003032.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 3
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 63
Starting at BD003033, the factory started building gray/automatic cars through VIN BD003112 - another 80 cars.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 83
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 63
At BD003113 they were back to gray/manual for another 87 cars through BD003200, where the gas flaps were discontinued in favor of the lined/no flap hoods.
Gray, auto, gas flap count = 83
Gray, manual, gas flap count = 150
So, out of 8,987 cars built, only 83 cars were built to the gray/automatic/gas flap specification - or about 0.9%. How many of these 83 gray/automatic/gas flap cars are left is unknown, but figuring an attrition rate of 30% over the past 40 years would mean about 53 of these cars may be left today. Below is a list of the VINs for these 83 cars - is yours on this list? Let me know!
What about the gold cars? I discount those as production cars due to the fact that these cars were not sold or offered by DeLorean dealers and were in fact sold by DMC prior to the car even being in production. You could not go into a dealership and buy one in 1981.
How about the Middle East cars? By most accounts there were 50 of them, all but one (perhaps) were 1982 models with automatic transmissions and flat hoods. These were assembled using many leftover, discontinued or superseded parts including early style carpets, dark grey wheels, front fender mounted antennas, Ducellier alternators and Craig radios for example. Basically, the cars used obsolete stock for these non-US market cars, which were never imported to the USA as new or sold in the USA. I discount these cars as they were an unintended factory spec, essentially built using these obsolete parts to reserve the latest specification parts for the primary US-market cars. That's not to say the Middle East cars aren't an interesting "asterisk" in the DeLorean production history, far from it - but one can infer from factory records that had the company been on more sound financial footing, these cars would have been built to the latest factory spec in terms of fenders, antennas, alternators, radios, etc.
Gray, Auto, Gas Flap VIN list
BD002436 |
BD003051 |
BD003072 |
BD003093 |
BD002437 |
BD003052 |
BD003073 |
BD003094 |
BD002438 |
BD003053 |
BD003074 |
BD003095 |
BD003033 |
BD003054 |
BD003075 |
B003096 |
BD003034 |
BD003055 |
BD003076 |
BD003097 |
BD003035 |
BD003056 |
BD003077 |
BD003098 |
BD003036 |
BD003057 |
BD003078 |
BD003099 |
BD003037 |
BD003058 |
BD003079 |
BD003100 |
BD003038 |
BD003059 |
BD003080 |
BD003101 |
BD003039 |
BD003060 |
BD003081 |
BD003102 |
BD003040 |
BD003061 |
BD003082 |
BD003103 |
BD003041 |
BD003062 |
BD003083 |
BD003104 |
BD003042 |
BD003063 |
BD003084 |
BD003105 |
BD003043 |
BD003064 |
BD003085 |
BD003106 |
BD003044 |
BD003065 |
BD003086 |
BD003107 |
BD003045 |
BD003066 |
BD003087 |
BD003108 |
BD003046 |
BD003067 |
BD003088 |
BD003109 |
BD003047 |
BD003068 |
BD003089 |
BD003110 |
BD003048 |
BD003069 |
BD003090 |
BD003111 |
BD003049 |
BD003070 |
BD003091 |
BD003112 |
BD003050 |
BD003071 |
BD003092 |
END |
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