Only One in USA: 1981 DeLorean Legend Twin Turbo
The tale of woe that is the DeLorean story is well known and does not need repeating on these pages. Despite his shortcomings, John DeLorean did have a vision for this car that seemingly foretold long-term success. The incredible styling was one thing, but the development of an eminently flexible powerplant is quite another. The PRV V6 is often frowned upon, but under the right conditions, it’s actually quite a feat of engineering prowess. The DeLorean shown here is one of only a handful of cars – less than 10 – to ever be fitted with the twin-turbo system DeLorean always envisioned the car having. It’s the only one in the U.S. and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $350,000. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Angel A for the find.
Now, I have a little bit of personal experience with the PRV engine. You see, I owned a 1988 Peugeot 505 V6 wagon for a very short time. There was never a factory V6 wagon, but the previous owner swapped in the PRV V6 used in the Eagle Premier sedan. Now, if you Google “performance modifications” and “PRV”, very little comes up. There are no cold air intakes or a hotter camshaft to buy. But there is ample evidence that the engine responded very well to turbocharging, and this was always in the back of my head as an option should I decide to make the car a long-termer (spoiler alert: I didn’t.) The DeLorean’s engine was torn down and rebuilt with twin turbochargers by Legend Industries in Long Island, resulting in a sports car that delivered scathing performance, including a 0-60 run of under six seconds.
The performance was achieved through a complete overhaul of the PRV engine, with only the bottom end and the camshafts left untouched. The Legend team crammed twin turbos and twin intercoolers anywhere they could in the tight engine bay of the DMC-12, and the quality of the work seems to be top-notch. DeLorean actually placed an order for 5,000 of these engines to be built, right before the bottom dropped out. With the DeLorean scandal unfolding, companies like Legend were left holding the bag and went out of business under the crushing debt of promises made that were never kept. As a result, the twin-turbocharged DeLorean DMC-12 was stillborn, which is why cars like the one the seller has on offer are in exceedingly limited supply – and likely deserve a fairly heady price tag.
Comments
The twin turbo set-up is what this car needed. I thought the transaxles were also fragile in these cars so I’m assuming the company also did some modifications to that as well. The first generation PRV engine was the most troublesome and I know the Eagle premier had the later even fire with the split crank pin which made them run a lot smoother. Renault also used this engine in the Alpine with a special carb set up which made more power than the Delorean. I think some owners used that set up for more power but other than that the turbo or supercharger would be the way to go.
Great timing for the write up.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/could-this-turbo-engine-have-saved-delorean/
There’s a great article in the latest Hagerty magazine (and online) about the twin turbo engine saga. Quite a story.
A knowledgeable camshaft grinding company can usually regrind a stock cam to give a bit better performance.
Awesome graphic, reminds me of Car~toons magazine.
Part of the seller’s story don’t add up.
I was raised in the New England portion of the DeLorean owner community thanks to two relatives. I only stepped out of the scene once I left the area, circa 2007.
At that time, there was a Legend twin turbo in the hands of an older woman near Boston. In fact I think the license plate read TWNTRB or some such (Massachusetts plates at the time were limited to six characters— not sure if that’s still the case). She had no plans to sell it that I know of.
The seller’s claim of the last one remaining in “the Americas” doesn’t ring true with my firsthand experience.
You are talking about Eleanor Rogers. Her car was a kit produced by a company called “Island”, Eleanor was the person selling the kits! There were hundreds made. Many people confuse it with the Legend Industries engine, but they are not at all the same.
Marc you will find a lot of experts out here spreading the wrong facts. It happens constantly.
Marc,
A dozen or so pictures of a detailed DeLorean may help your asking price.
Good Luck!
Great Idea but what happened to the Flux Capacitor ?
Delorean was set up by the FBI, entrapment is what I think it’s called. Look it up, know real car history.
Facebook Marketplace for $350,000?
Now I’ve seen it all!
Marc is “testing the water” with this price and post, and If I say anything rude he’ll report me to Facebook.
Looks like the spirit of John D. Is still around…
The Renault engine doomed the DeLorean to failure.
That kind of money can buy you so much more!! Condition used-good. Only 2 photos of the car itself.