Born-again DeLorean DMC-12 teased

A reborn DeLorean DMC-12, the iconic American coupe made famous by the smash-hit Back to the Future movie series of the 1980s, appears to be one step closer.

Back in 2016, DeLorean Motor Company – the Texan operation that bought the tooling and parts from the original (and now deceased) manufacturer – indicated it would revive the classic vehicle under new US laws that allow low-volume sales (up to 325 units annually) of historic car replicas.

At the time, the company indicated a reincarnated rear-engined DeLorean, expected to be priced at around $100,000, would become available by 2017.

Now, Italian design house Italdesign has released this teaser image (we’ve cropped out the original 1981 DMC-12 that was above it) via Facebook overnight, along with the words:

“#DeLorean DMC-12 turns 40 this year! This picture was shot on the 21st January 1981, when the very first production model was released. What a better way to celebrate an icon of automotive history than a sneak peek of the (near) future? Stay tuned for more.”

Rather than a replica of the 1981 DMC-12, the vehicle in the teaser pic appears to be an all-new design, complete with gullwing doors and an illuminated DMC badge on its grille, just like the original.

Whether it will also feature a stainless-steel body remains to be seen, but it’s clear the DeLorean Motor Company (which is tagged in the post) is planning to reveal something special with the help of Italdesign – soon.