Okay, so I got curious about how much a DeLorean cost back in 1981. You know, the car from “Back to the Future”? I always thought it was some super expensive, unattainable thing. Turns out, I was kinda wrong, but also kinda right. Let me tell you what I found out.
My Deep Dive into 1981 DeLorean Prices
First, I started with a simple search. Just typed in “DeLorean cost 1981” and hit enter. I figured I’d find some quick answers, but boy, was I in for a ride.
The initial results showed a bunch of different numbers. Some websites mentioned a base price, others talked about “fully loaded” models. It was confusing! So, I decided to dig deeper.
- I spent a good chunk of time just reading through forums. Lots of car enthusiasts were discussing this very topic.
- I Found that the base MSRP for a 1981 DeLorean was around $25,000.
- I checked out some old magazine scans. Seeing those original ads was pretty cool.
I also found out that there were options you could add, like an automatic transmission, which would bump up the price. So, a “fully loaded” DeLorean could go for over $30,000!
Now, to put that in perspective, I looked up the average US income in 1981. That was somewhere around $21,000 a year. So, yeah, a DeLorean was definitely a pricey car, more than a year’s salary for the average Joe. No wonder it felt so exclusive!
After all that searching, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on it. The DeLorean wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t a million-dollar car either. It was a luxury, for sure, but a somewhat attainable one, at least for some people. My conclusion is the price for a 1981 DeLorean was around $25,000 to a bit over $30,000, depending on the options.
