John DeLorean wanted nothing more than to see Malcolm Bricklin succeed. He knew Bricklin's chances were not good. He was aware that there was less real money behind him than there seemed to be on the surface, and Bricklin's timing, on the brink of the oil-embargo recession could not have been worse.

"Many thanks to the people at the Petersen Automotive Museum, who allowed me to take pictures of the car on a day they are closed to the public so I could remove the barriers and get quality shots. Press here to see the original window sticker for this car, which shows the whopping $85K suggested retail price."

From April to July 1981, DMC spent $2.5 million simply to fix pre-delivery glitches. Despite the problems, eager buyers were paying $5,000 over sticker. American Express, in their Christmas catalog, offered a 24-karat-gold-plated DeLorean for $85,000.

"The engine was one of the cleanest, but yet dirtiest engines I have ever seen. It was very dusty from years of sitting, but everything was in mint shape, including the original water bottle. Press on the pictures below to see the detailed gold plating that was done throughout the car, including the torsion bars, seals around the headlamps, DMC emblem, rims, and the tail pipes."