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ItalDesign teases DeLorean-inspired gullwing car for DMC-12’s 40th anniversary

Legendary design house ItalDesign has revealed a teaser image of a mysterious car with gullwing doors and the letters “DMC” on the nose. Wait, have we gone back in time? Oh, it’s still 2021, meaning this is an all-new DeLorean-inspired car.

Accompanying the image was a photo snapped on January 21, 1981, of the original DeLorean emerging from a workshop. A caption states that this was the very first production model of the DMC-12 released. “What better way to celebrate an icon of automotive history than a sneak peek of the (near) future? Stay tuned for more …” the text continues.

We take it to mean that a modern interpretation of the DeLorean will soon be unveiled. Most likely it’ll be a rendering, or a show car if we’re lucky, but we don’t believe a production machine is on the menu.

ItalDesign founder Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the original car, whose futuristic look and stainless steel body led the DeLorean to be immortalized in film as the time machine from 1985’s “Back to the Future.” However, production cars were fitted with rather anemic 130-horsepower engines that never lived up to the car’s looks.

ItalDesign was founded in 1968 and has styled cars for a number of automakers, from Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen. Notable works have included the BMW M1, the original Lotus Esprit, the first-gen Lexus GS, Subaru SVX, and the Mk1 VW Golf. However, it was the DeLorean’s pivotal role in the hit film that made it one of the studio’s most cherished creations, loved by both car and film buffs alike.

Judging by the size of the doors relative to the body, the updated DeLorean looks to be a rather compact car overall. The cross-section also indicates it will have curved, bulging shoulders rather than the flat-surfaced sides of the original. Unfortunately, the rear is still hidden, so we don’t know if an optional Mr. Fusion can be easily added.

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