Pre-production cars a.k.a.Chestnut Fleet DeLorean not for sale to the public

[Senatorpack@xxxx]

The ebay car could be a Training Car. However there are too many 
discrepancies to warrant the car as such...in my observation & opinion from 
the three photographs. For example, the parts changes made to the car (it's 
not correct for a very early 1981) are late 1981 parts changes. 
For example, the rear bumper & fascia on the Scottsdale/Barett Jackson 
car has a fiberglass rear fascia without the DE-bossed rear DeLorean letters. 
Does the ebay car have this fiberglass fascia?

The interior changes, specifically the lower door cover panel & 
integrated door pull strap are production, however there are some custom 
pieces ...i.e. the knee pad with the 1983 hood emblem, and the center console 
area looks like it was covered in leather. 

The very early 1981 cars had the binnacles wrapped & stitched in leather. 
The upper door stills have a small kick plate attached on the carpet area and 
screws in the black DMC door still. The very early cars have a stainless 
steel dashboard plate without the door VIN plate.

However, as the car evolved into what was the 1982 & 1983 cars, as we all 
know, there are changes that differentiate the model years. This car has many 
of the 1982 & 1983 updates cosmetically. There are some mechanical telltale 
signs if this car is in fact a preproduction car. There are three types of 
preproduction cars built is three separate area of the world.

The first type is the prototype with the Citroen 4 cylinder engine and 
ERM underbody. Later the JZD Corporation built a second and third car with a 
Renault Alpine engine. The Citroen powered car is featured in the marketing 
film. These cars were hand built in Detroit. 

The second preproduction car is referred to as the Chestnut fleet cars. 
The Factory began building cars for shipment to the public in April of 1981. 
Prior to that, from December 1980 thru March 1981 there were a series of hand 
built cars called the Chestnut Fleet. There were approximately 40 of these 
preproduction cars hand built as the last prototypes for final approval of 
revisions and pilot production changes. These 40 cars had very early 
Stainless steel panels without the finish characteristic of production 
DeLoreans. They were assembled in the body press building at Dunmurry.

The third is the Black cars. These third preproduction DeLorean cars were 
hand assembled at Lotus, Coventry England and at the DeLorean parts 
purchasing office in Norwich England, at the same time as the Chestnut Fleet 
cars from December 1980 thru March 1981. These car were internally referred 
to as the engineering or training cars or as the Black cars. There were some 
of these Black cars painted orange, red, blue, and white. The Black cars are 
fiberglass underbodies without stainless steel panels, however they have 
fiberglass panels and doors. Some had stainless chassises.

The stainless steel panels were not attached to the black cars due to the 
fact that when Giorgietto Giugiaro updated the styling, the molds for the 
stainless panels need to be tweaked and changed to stamp the new design of 
the exterior dimensions.

The black cars had fiberglass doors and panels attached so that the cars 
could be driven around the Lotus test tracks. The black cars didn't have full 
interiors or the majority of the productions cars components.

While the Black cars were at Lotus in England, the Dunmurry team headed 
by Mike Loasby was finalizing the details of the car, primarily the interior 
and parts detail for the QAC'c & dealerships. The Lotus team headed by Tong 
Rudd and Colin Spooner were busy finalizing the exterior shape & details 
along with the emissions, safety and drivetrain certification for the USA.

When the stainless steel panel details such as, exterior lights and door 
opening shapes were finished, the master plans for the panels, inner hood and 
rear louvre molds, the fenders molds were sent to Thyssen Maschinebau GmbH & 
CO and to BSC Stainless Steel in Sheffield England.

The fenders, outer hood, louvre, and inner hood parts were 
stamped/fabricated at Thyssen GmbH and not at DMCL. DMCL only assembled the 
hood assemblies at the factory.

Molds for upper and lower body panels were made by August Lapple GmbH & 
Co. located in the Republic of Ireland. August Lapple is a German automobile 
tool and die company, and the VARI body molds they supplied were used in the 
body press building at DMCL. 

Dies for the inner and outer rear quarter panels were supplied by 
Allegiare Werke GmbH and BSC Stainless Steel in Sheffield England. These 
panels were also not stamped by DMCL.

The pilot production car were hand assembled at the Belfast Training 
center. They were used for training purposes and taken apart and reassembled 
so that the workforce could understand the assembly and operation of the car. 

These 40 Chestnut Fleet cars built from December 1980 thru February/March 
1981 were taken apart and dismantled for parts, some went to the USA for 
crash testing, EPA/DOT approval etc. The cars were never intended for sale to 
the public as they became cars for suppliers. exhibition, & some even became 
company cars for USA executives. The door VIN number plate is not attached as 
the stainless steel dashboard plate reads "DeLorean Motor Company Training 
Vehicle." The majority went back to Dunmurry for dismantling, however a 
handful survived.

Best Wishes,
Michael Pack