You may not know this, but is still possible to purchase a 'new' DeLorean DMC-12. That's right, the car that excited car fans in the early 1980s with its stainless steel body and gullwing doors, along with film lovers, due to its star turn in the mid-1980s (and on) "Back to the Future" film trilogy.

Production of the DeLorean DMC-12 began in 1981, and ceased in 1982, upon the brief arrest of John DeLorean for drug trafficking. The charges were subsequently dropped, but the arrest itself was enough of a punctuation mark to the momentum of the young car to sink the company.

During its brief life, the company made a little over 9,000 cars. For a time spare parts were sold by a company called KAPAC, and then in 1997 all inventory was purchased by DeLorean Motor Company of Texas, a company owned by Stephen Wynne.

And it is this company that is selling the 'new' DMC-12s. This began in 2008, with, according to the company, "our inventory of new old stock (NOS), original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and our line of reproduction parts."

Image: Grenex 2006

Regarding just how many cars the company can sell, this is what they have to say:

"The original DeLorean Motor Company factory was geared up to build 30,000 cars per year. They built a total of approximately 9,000 altogether. The remaining parts from the factory stock, the parts from the US Warranty Parts Center, as well as parts from the original suppliers that had not yet been delivered to the factory were all shipped to Columbus, Ohio in 1983-1984.

A company called KAPAC sold these parts to retail and wholesale customers via mail order. In 1997, DeLorean Motor Company of Texas acquired this inventory and the exclusive distribution rights.. We now distribute these parts to retail customers via mail order through our online store or from phone orders. We also supply our in Florida, The Netherlands, Illinois, Washington, and California from the Texas warehouse."

The cars are built to customer specifications, and pricing starts at $57,500. The DeLorean Motor Company also sells secondhand DeLoreans, with pricing in the $50,000 to $55,000 range. If you want a replica of the "Back to the Future" car, apparently the California dealership has arranged this in the past.

The company also made headlines late last year, with plans announced for an electric DeLorean DMC-12, due for release in 2013.

I must admit, I'm a little unmoved by this car. I think it's either the notoriety of the founder and the marketing of the car, or the association with 'Back to the Future" that hold the public's fascination with the DeLorean. For mine, it's not a design that has aged well. I've seen a few out in the wild over the past few months, and those that I saw neither looked, or sounded, anything much. If I had $60,000 to spend on a classic car, I'd be looking elsewhere.

Still, that's just my taste, isn't it. Feel free to hit the comments button to agree or disagree with me.