DeLorean DMC-12
1981–1983
Lowest price
US$31,699
Since 2020
Median price
US$75,500
Since 2020 · n=23
Highest price
US$154,000
Since 2020
Sold cars
23
All time
Sell-through
100%
Of 23 lots

Based on 23 verified auction results
US$64,751
Market value · recent verified sales
-41.1%
12-month change
Wait or Sell
Prices declining. Sellers should consider acting; buyers should wait.
Median sold price down 41.1% over the last 12 months. Loss is likely to continue, especially for this segment.
MSRP
—
Collectibility
7/10
Highly Collectible
3-Year Forecast
US$22,501
-65%
5-Year Forecast
US$16,609
-74%
Market scores
53
Desirability
Thin
30
Liquidity
Poor
10
Resale Outlook
Option premiums
What every option is worth.
Manual gearbox
−US$11,611-15%14 with · 3 without · low confidence
Built ≤ 1981
+US$5,330+7%16 with · 9 without · high confidence
Premiums compare the median price of sales with each option against comparable sales without it, mined from verified auction listings. Prices are adjusted to the model's median mileage before comparing. Sales are pooled across markets on a relative-price basis, so exchange rates and market levels can't skew the split. Options interact in ways a one-at-a-time split can’t capture — treat each premium as directional rather than gospel.
Marque analyst note
The DeLorean DMC-12 has fallen sharply over the past twelve months, with the median price declining from approximately $110,000 to $64,751—a 41 percent drop. This reversal comes despite the car's standing as a highly collectible machine, signaling a meaningful shift in market sentiment that warrants close attention from both current owners and prospective buyers.
The thin liquidity picture reflects real constraints in the market. With only eight transactions recorded in the past year across a total tracked sample of 23 cars, sellers face limited visibility and buyers have few opportunities to enter at any given moment. The absence of active listings at present underscores how sparse the trading environment has become for this nameplate.
DeLoreans carry genuine collectibility credentials: approximately 9,000 were built, and the marque retains its iconic status. Average mileage on transacted examples sits at 21,111 miles, suggesting most surviving cars remain relatively lightly driven. However, moderate desirability and the recent price collapse indicate that nostalgia and production scarcity alone are insufficient to sustain value momentum in the current market.
The three-year and five-year projections paint a sobering picture. The base case forecasts the median price settling near $22,500 within three years (a 65 percent decline from current levels) and potentially falling to $16,600 by year five. These declines reflect a technical deterioration in demand that confidence levels suggest is reasonably well-founded, though any unexpected shift in cultural or collector sentiment could alter the trajectory.
The sell signal and depreciating status are unambiguous: owners sitting with these cars are likely to face further headwinds, and prospective buyers should carefully weigh the sharp recent losses before committing capital at this juncture. The market has effectively repriced the DeLorean, and stabilization—if it comes—remains several years away based on current momentum.
Depreciation Benchmark
- Current avg valueUS$64,751
- Annual appr. rate-41.1%/yr
- Segment average+3.0 to +9.5%/yr
Vehicle History Signals
- Auction lots tracked25
- Damage or salvage declared0 (0.0%)
- No damage declared25 (100.0%)
Est. Annual Ownership Costs
- Insurance (agreed value)US$600
- MaintenanceUS$2,010
- StorageUS$3,220
- Depreciation— (appreciating)
- Total annual costUS$5,830
Market Liquidity
- Active Listings0
- Sales Last 12 Months14
- Sell-Through61%
Market Snapshot
- Active Listings0
- Avg Sale PriceUS$79,500
- Avg Mileage at Sale21,111 mi
- Recent Price RangeUS$31,699 – US$154,000
- Total Sales Tracked23
Recent sales
Showing latest 20US$66,000
mecum · 15 Aug 2026
Stainless Steel · Automatic
US$47,000
cars-and-bids · 10 Aug 2026
48,700 mi
US$51,500
Bring a Trailer · 6 Aug 2026
9,000 mi
5-speed manual
US$77,500
Bring a Trailer · 5 Aug 2026
296 mi
stainless steel · 5-speed manual
US$65,001
Bring a Trailer · 28 Jul 2026
9,000 mi
stainless steel · 5-speed manual
US$56,000
Bring a Trailer · 20 Jul 2026
16,000 mi
stainless steel · 5-speed manual
US$48,800
Bring a Trailer · 8 Jul 2026
5-speed manual
US$60,000
Bring a Trailer · 3 Jul 2026
25,000 mi
stainless steel · 5-speed manual
US$52,001
Bring a Trailer · 26 Jun 2026
55,000 mi
stainless steel · 5-speed manual
US$75,500
Bring a Trailer · 20 May 2026
stainless steel · 5-speed
Indicative only — not investment advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future value.