In 1980, American Express Teamed Up With DeLorean To Produce A 24K Gold Plated DMC-12, But Only Two Were Sold! – Design You Trust

In 1980, American Express Teamed Up With DeLorean To Produce A 24K Gold Plated DMC-12, But Only Two Were Sold!

In 1980, American Express teamed up with DeLorean to produce a specialty car to promote their gold card. A 24K gold plated DeLorean DMC-12 was featured in the 1980 American Express Christmas catalog. A limited edition of no more than 100 DeLoreans, with 24-karat gold plating, were offered at $85,000 (about $220,000 today) each though only two were sold through this promotion.

h/t: vintag.es

The catalog declares “This Christmas, American Express brings you the gold at the end of the rainbow,” and the cover car bears a front license plate that resembles a green Amex card. In the DeLorean listing itself, American Express declares the gilded ride “the most luxurious car in the world.”

Here’s the original ad, which we’ve also transcribed below:

“The car of the future—a sportscar so spectacular that it surpasses the imagination. From its dramatic gull wing doors and outer surface of glittering 24 karat gold to its Colin Chapman world championship automotive engineering, the DeLorean glides into the future with a grace and authority that is seldom seen.

The luxury is unbelievable. Specially commissioned by you alone—as conceived by the great Giorgetto Giugiaro—the DeLorean is a masterpiece of engineering and design. And, as befits its extraordinary character, the entire corrosion-free stainless steel outer body panels of this limited edition DeLorean will be electroplated with pure 24 karat gold.

Imagine yourself behind the wheel of the most talked about sportscar of this century—a car that speaks luxury, performance and advanced engineering with a richly appointed Connolly English and Italian glove leather interior, multi-speaker high output stereo system, air conditioning, full instrumentation and electrical locking, a rear-mounted, light alloy overhead cam PRV V6 2.85 litre engine, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, Lambda Sond/catalytic emission control, 5-speed manual, or 3-speed automatic transmission, counter-balanced gull wing doors with cryogenically pre-set stainless steel torsion bars—to name just a few of its features.

Your 24 karat gold DeLorean will move you like you’ve never been moved before—0 to 60 mph in under 8 seconds. Furthermore, no more than 100 will ever be produced.

The first step toward becoming one of the 100 people in the world to acquire this limited edition car is to call one of our toll-free numbers for answers to all of your questions.

When production of your car begins in the United Kingdom for delivery to any of the more than 300 DeLorean dealerships in the United States in June of 1981, a deposit of $10,000 will be required on this $85,000 masterpiece. Chargeable, of course, on your American Express Card account. Truly a golden opportunity!”







If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Design You Trust Facebook page. You won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

3D Printing Fashion: How I 3D-Printed Clothes at Home
Monsters from Outer Space: Glorious Covers for German Sci-Fi Magazine "Terra"
Vintage Photographs of People Riding Electric Scooters from The Beginning of The 20th Century
Jaguar E-Type 1964 Discovered In A Dilapidated Garage
Disused Jets in U.S. Air Force 'Graveyard' given New Lease of Life by World's Best Graffiti Artists
Russian Artist Creates Incredible Ultrarealistic Miniature Models Of The Military And Utility Vehicles
1935 Mercedes-Benz 540K Streamline Roadster By Erdmann & Rossi
Computer Love: The Ultimate Guide To Computing
Vanity’s Heaven: Spectacular Retro Inspired Collages by Moon Patrol
"System Errors": The Superb Glitch and Cyberwave Art Works of Klarens Malluta
This Instagram Account Reveals Scenes From Famous Movies With And Without Special Effects
“Bikes, Broads, Beer, and Boogie”: The Great Collection of Biker Magazines from the 1980s
Amazing Portraits of a Young Demi Moore in the 1980s
Incredible Digital Projection By Joanie Lemercier
Running In The Night: The Superb '80s Cyberpunk Artworks By Daniele Gasparini
3D-Printed Paintings Let The Blind “See” Famous Art For The First Time
"We Do Lockdown": A Razor-Sharp Satire of COVID-19 Lockdown Life Packed Full of Parodies of Vintage Illustrations by Miriam Elia
Taiwanese Modder Turns Doom Eternal's BFG 10000 Into The Ultimate Gaming Rig
Fabulous Photos Show Billy Idol’s Styles in the 1970s and ’80s
Cool Pics That Defined Big Hairstyles Of Women In The 1980s
Meet Snoped, The Sleek Snowmobile
The Superb Retro Inspired Collages by Figaro Many
Divorced Dad Who Gave Up On Real Women Now Lives With 12 Life-Size Dolls… And His Daughter Helps With Their Make-Up And Clothes
Beautiful Retro & Romance Fashion Photography By Jerry Schatzberg