Meet DeLorean Models From the Brand’s Alternate Timeline

Ever wondered what 40 years of DeLorean evolution would have looked like or how the new DeLorean Motor Company came up with the Alpha5 EV concept unveiled this spring? The answers lie in an alternate timeline from the original DMC-12.

Production ended in late 1982 and, as you know, there were no successors in the four decades that followed. Unknown to the larger public, however, DeLorean created its first Alpha shortly after the DMC-12.

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The DMC-24 was a 4-5 seat vehicle designed in 1981. Archived sketches revealed a step toward DeLorean's future with a departure from its stainless-steel body and the exploration of new materials, but the vehicle ultimately remained unreleased. 

In 1996, DeLorean's second icon, the Alpha2 roadster, would have launched. The Alpha2 represents the first complete departure from the legacy design of the DMC-12 and the brand's evolving design languages that were propelled by improving technology. It would have looked something like this:

Ten years later, the Alpha3 would have arrived as a luxury sedan and DeLorean's first interpretation of an electric vehicle, pushing boundaries and innovating with more sustainable materials. Styling foreshadows the Alpha 5:

Finally, in 2013, the evolution would have continued with a pickup concept and ultimately an SUV. With fuel cell technology starting to emerge as a potential solution for future mobility, DeLorean’s Alpha4 runs on hydrogen. The wide and low-slung body accommodates a large cabin with seating for seven or eight:

All of these models would have led to the creation of the DeLorean Alpha5, explaining why the new concept looks so dramatically different from the original DMC-12. Check out the photo gallery at the top of the page to see more images and sketches of the fictional DeLoreans.