Towards the end of 1979, the Development build Delorean’s were being constructed at the Lotus plant in Norfolk, England. Most of the earlier models were used to test the overall design and key systems such as the engines, transmissions, wiring looms.

A Key requirement for being allowed to sell the Delorean DMC-12 model into the US market was getting the necessary emissions certification from the US EPA.

 

Three Development cars were sent, D19, D20 D21.

D19 was the first car sent to Olsen Engineering. In fact D19 was a replacement car as D18 developed a fault.In late 1982 DMC was in financial crisis and bills from Olsen were never paid. Olsen sent a number of warnings to DMC, but eventually put a Lien on all three cars.

 

All three cars were sold at auction and the three cars sold in a single lot for $7,500 The new owner of the cars, sold them, with D20-21 going to two brothers, whereas D19 was sold to John Travis.

 

John Undertook a extensive restoration of the car, at the time a daunting task as with the car being a pilot, production parts would not just simply bolt on. Lucky for the car, John kept it close to how she was, but changed over window glass, and various updates needed to put the car on the road.

 

John also painted the car Red due to the poor condition of the sheet metal.

Being a pilot car, none of the early cars had good sheet metal; as a result paint was used to hide all the imperfections.

 

John later took fancy to a Cessna aircraft which his friend Bill Carmer kept in the same hanger. John jokingly offered a swap which was accepted!

 

The car was then driven briefly, but soon laid up and put into storage in Bills Barn. There the car stayed until Bill died, and his widow decided to sell the car to us.