This week we’re going back in time to 1983. David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. Radio Shack is launching computers. (What’s Radio Shack?) And the DeLorean Motor Company rolls out the last DMC-12, also known publicly as the DMC DeLorean.

The DMC DeLorean was going to be an economical sports car, with a sticker price of only $12,000 (hence the name, DMC-12). The body was made of stainless steel and left unpainted to “cut costs.” And it could achieve 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds. A flashy sports car that won’t break the bank. What a sell!

As the car rolled into production they found none of these expectations could be met. Car critics quickly retracted their previously written positive reviews and had nothing but negative things to say about a vehicle that could have potentially revolutionized the auto industry at the time.

The DeLorean Motor Company basically sold America a bill of goods. The history books have labeled this vehicle the biggest scam in the history of car manufacturing. Not only was the car itself underpowered and one of cheap quality, but the owner of the DeLorean Motor Company, John DeLorean, has gone down as one of the biggest disgraces in the auto industry. Which really says something given he also helped create the Pontiac GTO back in the 60s.

It’s hard to believe that the most epic car of my generation was truly such a flop. And by epic, I mean this particular car allowed “a crazy, wild-eyed scientist and a kid” to travel through time in the Back to the Future trilogy.

The DeLorean has been typecast as “the time machine from Back to the Future,” and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Nor should they want to. With the help of its renowned movie feature, it’s a true American staple. The sad part is, because of John DeLorean’s poor business antics, and his wild cocaine habit turned drug trafficking indictment, he never once saw royalties from the movie franchise. Ever.

As a kid in the 80s, the DeLorean was the hottest car around. The interior was so bright and so colorful, cool-ass doors, and could drive so fast! When I first saw one out in the wild, I was about 3 years old living in San Antonio, TX. There was one sitting in a parking lot outside of a Fuddruckers. My parents let me peek inside the driver’s side window and I remember being kind of disappointed. This was not the same car I saw in Back to the Future. Talk about spoiled expectations! But of course, I was only 3.

The DMC-12 has had its fair share of movie cameos since Back to the Future. One of my all-time favorite romcoms which totally nailed the vibe: The Wedding Singer.

A great fan following has kept the nostalgia alive too, with owners coming together all over the country to various car shows and social get togethers. Some fans have even retrofitted their DeLorean into the famed time machine. And there are even dealerships around the US that continue to buy and sell the car and its parts.

Automobile museums around the US have the DeLorean on display. In the National Auto Museum in Reno, NV, you can see a 24k gold-plated DeLorean! (Three gold-plated cars were produced as an attempt to promote sales, and 2 of them actually sold.) To this day, Back to the Future merchandise is still flying off the shelves. Everything from the Lego version of the DeLorean to the Hot Wheels collector’s editions.

So, whether or not the DMC DeLorean is just the “time machine from Back to the Future,” or it means something more (regardless or because of its wild history), this classic sports car from the 80s will always have a special place in the hearts of my generation.