24-karat Gold DeLorean

Recently I had the chance to visit the Auto Museum in Reno, NV. I was excited only because I knew it was one of the 2 resting places for the famed “Gold Delorean.”

As a Back to the Future fan, and having a brother who owned a DeLorean, I was eager to check this thing out. I took plenty of photos and did the research on this stainless steal icon covered in 24-karat Gold. Here’s what I learned to be true:
The National Automobile Museum in Reno NV has the first of only 2 gold DeLoreans ever built. They are 24-karat gold plated, and were used in a promotional campaign for American Express “Gold” cardholders. The idea was American Express would sell 100 of these custom luxury cars to their coveted Gold Card members. Only 2 were ever sold.

The first gold-plated American Express DMC-12 sold (pictured below at the Reno Museum), was built with a manual transmission and came with a brownish “saddle” leather interior. It was purchased by Sherwood Marshall, an entrepreneur and former Royal Canadian Naval Officer. The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 (later loaned to the Petersen Automotive Museum of Los Angeles), was sold to Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. Both men later donated the cars to museums. A third Gold plated DeLorean exists but only as an aftereffect. It was assembled later in the US with the remaining spare parts American Express had produced incase of damage.

Photo Gallery (Click enlarged photo to continue Slide Show)

The timing for all this is reported from 1979-1983. One source says the cars first appeared in a Dec. catalog issue for American Express in 1979, (which requires the cars to be made even before that!). Another source dates the production and sales of the cars to be 1981, (with the remaining ‘parts’ car to be assembled in 1983). However, no sources differ on the price. The cost was $85,000. WOW, that’s a lot. Insurance rates for the car were approx $1000/month back then. A mere door ding reportedly had a potential repair cost of $24,000. The 3rd “parts” car was reportedly offered for sale at $250,000.

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