DeLorean DMC-12 - Right-hand Drive Models

Right-hand Drive Models

DMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market despite being produced in Northern Ireland. All production models were therefore left-hand drive. Evidence survives from as early as April 1981, however, which indicates that the DeLorean Motor Company was aware of the need to produce a right-hand drive version to supply to world markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

The company faced the choice of building right-hand drive models from scratch, or performing a post-production conversion exercise. Given the cost of new body molds, tooling, and a host of specific parts that a factory build right-hand drive configuration would require, the company opted to investigate the idea of a post-production conversion using a company based in Hampshire called Wooler-Hodec Ltd.

Only 16 right-hand drive factory-authorised DeLoreans were ever produced. These cars can be divided into two distinct groups:

1. The first batch, known by enthusiasts as the "Wooler-Hodec cars", were converted by the UK company of that name. Evidence still exists in the form of a DMC factory memo which orders 20 cars to be converted to right-hand drive. Due to the factory's closure, this order was never completed and today a total of 13 cars survive, carrying the VINs: 510, 12171–12181 & 12199. VIN 510 is understood to be the first of this batch of cars converted and was later sold at the factory auction in 1984. The other twelve cars were auctioned off by the receivers in early 1983. As a result, several of these cars were registered at the same time and have the Northern Irish registration (license) number "SIJ xxxx". All of this first batch of cars had a black interior and all had manual transmission except VIN 12175. This car is the only factory-authorized right-hand drive black interior automatic car and is owned by Andrew Withers, former Editor of the UK DeLorean Owners Club.
2. The second batch were registered and used by the factory in Northern Ireland, with registration numbers (license plates), AXI 1697, AXI 1698, AXI 1699 and are referred to by enthusiasts as the "AXI cars". These three cars (VINs 5565, 5592 and 5638) differ from the first Wooler-Hodec cars in several ways. These three cars all had roof mounted radio aerials, indicator repeater lights, no side marker lights, white forward-facing door lights, fog-light switch, and textured body rubstrips on the stainless panels. No catalytic converters or Lambda equipment were fitted as British legislation did not require them. VIN 5565 with the registration number AXI 1697 was a fully UK homologated example which would have been shown at the British motor show at Birmingham, UK in October 1982. It includes a unique rearward-facing twin exhaust, no catalytic converters and the UK specification engine as used by Volvo, but retaining the usual Renault ancillaries. The transmission final drive was also set at 3.88:1 versus the standard 3.44:1. Attention was paid to other unique details such as correctly offset wing mirrors.

Recent research has revealed that VINs 752 and 758, once thought to be factory authorized Wooler Hodec right-hand drive cars, are post-factory conversions carried out by private individuals. Some of the right-hand drive cars have speedometers reading to 140 mph (230 km/h), instead of the US-specification 85 mph (137 km/h).

A common misconception surrounding the factory-authorized right-hand drive DeLoreans is that they were all fitted with different, so-called "Euro-spec", tail lights as part of the right-hand drive conversion program. This is not the case. Due to the nature of these cars as prototypes, they were not officially type-approved for use in the UK. Owners who bought these cars at auction in the early 1980s encountered difficulty in registering them as new vehicles in the UK. At this point a former DeLorean Motor Cars executive offered to modify and register the cars so that they could be used in the UK. These modifications included:

• Different seat belt units fitted.
• The fitting of Rubbolite tail light clusters with a built-in foglight function. The foglight is a legal requirement in the UK.
• The fitting of a foglight switch to one of the center console dummy switches.
• A custom-made tail light surround and number (license) plate bezel.
• Swapping the front turn signal lenses for ones of a different, more rounded style.
• Swapping the rear side marker lenses for amber ones.

Over half of the 16 right-hand drive cars had these modifications carried out. In recent years several owners of these cars have replaced the Rubbolite lights with original federal style tail lights in an effort to return the cars to their original specification. Some owners have also fitted federal style license plate bezels on their cars.

There were a number of official alterations made to the right-hand drive cars' lights. The extent of these modifications varies between the first batch of "Wooler-Hodec" cars and the later "AXI" cars:

All of the 13 Wooler-Hodec cars were modified to the OEM front turn signal lens fixing method in order to make them fit flush with the front fascia. The cars' headlights were also changed for right-hand drive spec lights that incorporate a UK sidelight feature. The rest of the lights appear to have been left untouched by Wooler-Hodec during the conversion process.

By contrast, the three "AXI" cars had further modifications to the amber front door lights, which were exchanged for clear lenses of the same style. Perhaps the most significant alteration on the "AXI" cars is the deletion of the front and rear side markers. These are replaced by a single small round European style indicator side repeater, situated on the front wing (fender). The body rubstrips are also of a different configuration in order to cover the areas which would otherwise have had federal side marker lenses fitted.