Short of maybe the Batmobile, few movie cars are as difficult to clone correctly than the Time Machine DeLorean from the Back To The Future series. Every detail from the two vents on the back to the glowing power strips that run all along the front bumper and around the back third of the car has been scrutinized by over thirty years’ worth of fans obsessed with the movie. Whether it’s built to the original 1985 specifications or the “2015” upgrades (the “Mr. Fusion” detail, for example) a Time Machine-converted DeLorean is going to be an eye-catcher wherever it goes. There might be as many as a hundred converted DMC-12s in existence, much to Lohnes’ chagrin.
So there are many spoofs. How many are legit? The one that is currently at the Petersen Automotive Museum is the real-deal movie car, the hero shot car. There are a couple elsewhere in the world and one was destroyed for the third movie. But here’s a fun fact: you aren’t seeing a real movie car in this Jay Leno clip. Instead you’re seeing a tribute so good that when Back To The Future creator Bob Gale saw it, he insisted that the two men that created the replica be hired on for the restoration of the hero car. That’s beyond cool…that’s dedication that borders on obsession, done right.
Yes, it’s still a DeLorean DMC-12, PRV V6 and all. Yes, 88 MPH is still quite optimistic. Do you really care when traffic is going bonkers over what you are driving?
