Photo: Caldwell Fire Department/Facebook
With fewer than 9,000 units built, the DeLorean DMC-12, made famous by the 1985 Oscar-winning film "Back to the Future," is a rare classic. While we don't know how many of the original 8,975 examples survived to this day, that number is down by one unit after a DeLorean was destroyed in a fire in Caldwell, Idaho.
Sadly, the DMC-12 burnt to a crisp. Images provided by the Caldwell Fire Department show a car that's no longer salvageable, with the interior, engine, and even some body parts melted beyond recognition. The good news is that no one was hurt in the incident.
But this sad story comes with a somewhat funny part too. According to KTVB, the Caldwell Fire Department reported about the incident on its Facebook page, saying that "while the official cause is still under investigation, the flux capacitor seems the likely culprit."
It's not yet clear whether the fire department quoted a witty owner or attempted to make a joke of its own, but the post has since been removed. Granted, car fires are nothing to joke about, but if the owner of this ruined DeLorean found humor in the situation, I guess we could have a giggle or two.
Still, our hearts go out to the owner, who lost an iconic classic that doesn't come cheap nowadays. Speaking of which, while the DeLorean DMC-12 wasn't the fast and innovative sports car it was designed to, it became famous when it was features as a time machine in "Back to the Future."
If you're not familiar with the film, the flux capacitor refers to a rectangular-shaped compartment with three flashing Geissler-style tubes arranged in a "Y" configuration. It's described as the core component of the time machine and the device that makes time travel possible.
Getting back to the production car in question, the totaled DeLorean is one of 8,975 examples built in the early 1980s, before the company was placed into receivership. Envisioned by John DeLorean and penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DMC hit the market with a 2.85-liter V6 engine. Jointly developed by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo, the mill generates 130 horsepower and 153 pound-feet (207 Nm) of torque.
Capable of hitting 60 mph (97 kph) in 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 109 mph (175 kph), the DeLorean was labeled as a disappointment performance-wise. However, its stainless-steel body panels were considered revolutionary.
Classic DeLoreans aren't particularly expensive nowadays, but well-maintained examples tend to cost more than $60,000. The original "Back to the Future" movie car was auctioned off for $541,000 back in 2011.
But this sad story comes with a somewhat funny part too. According to KTVB, the Caldwell Fire Department reported about the incident on its Facebook page, saying that "while the official cause is still under investigation, the flux capacitor seems the likely culprit."
It's not yet clear whether the fire department quoted a witty owner or attempted to make a joke of its own, but the post has since been removed. Granted, car fires are nothing to joke about, but if the owner of this ruined DeLorean found humor in the situation, I guess we could have a giggle or two.
Still, our hearts go out to the owner, who lost an iconic classic that doesn't come cheap nowadays. Speaking of which, while the DeLorean DMC-12 wasn't the fast and innovative sports car it was designed to, it became famous when it was features as a time machine in "Back to the Future."
If you're not familiar with the film, the flux capacitor refers to a rectangular-shaped compartment with three flashing Geissler-style tubes arranged in a "Y" configuration. It's described as the core component of the time machine and the device that makes time travel possible.
Getting back to the production car in question, the totaled DeLorean is one of 8,975 examples built in the early 1980s, before the company was placed into receivership. Envisioned by John DeLorean and penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DMC hit the market with a 2.85-liter V6 engine. Jointly developed by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo, the mill generates 130 horsepower and 153 pound-feet (207 Nm) of torque.
Capable of hitting 60 mph (97 kph) in 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 109 mph (175 kph), the DeLorean was labeled as a disappointment performance-wise. However, its stainless-steel body panels were considered revolutionary.
Classic DeLoreans aren't particularly expensive nowadays, but well-maintained examples tend to cost more than $60,000. The original "Back to the Future" movie car was auctioned off for $541,000 back in 2011.
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