For many, the mere mention of time travel conjures up images of a gleaming, futuristic car speeding at 88 miles per hour. This isn’t just any car; it’s the iconic vehicle from the beloved movie franchise, Back to the Future. But What Was The Car In Back To The Future? The answer is the DeLorean DMC-12, a vehicle that, thanks to its starring role, has cemented its place in pop culture history and the hearts of car enthusiasts worldwide.
My own fascination with the DeLorean began long before I understood the intricacies of time travel. As a 10-year-old visiting a science museum in Columbus, Ohio, I was confronted with a vision of automotive perfection: a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12. Growing up as a self-proclaimed nerd, my interests usually leaned more towards computers than cars. However, this car was different. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. The stainless steel body shimmered under the museum lights, and its cutting-edge, almost spacecraft-like design made it appear ready for interstellar journeys. And those gull-wing doors – they opened upwards like the hatch of a UFO, adding to its otherworldly appeal.
While my classmates remained largely indifferent, for me, it was an instant infatuation. If I had been old enough to drive, I’m sure I would have found a way past that velvet rope, jumped inside, and driven it straight out of the museum. Instead, I spent what felt like hours just gazing at it, absorbing every detail until it was time to leave.
Three years later, in 1985, Back To The Future hit theaters. Witnessing Dr. Emmett Brown transform a DeLorean into a makeshift, yet functional, time machine elevated my childhood crush to a full-blown obsession. At the impressionable age of 13, owning a DeLorean became a non-negotiable life goal. Of course, by then, the DeLorean Motor Company had already ceased operations, making the DMC-12 an instant collector’s item, further fueling its mystique and desirability.
Fast forward twenty-five years, and I found myself in the throes of middle age – a husband, a father to a young child, and a struggling writer. My automotive history consisted mainly of reliable, but perhaps less exciting, used Toyotas and Hondas. The dream of owning a DeLorean remained just that – a dream, seemingly out of reach. A thirty-year-old, two-seater sports car from Ireland hardly seemed like a practical choice to replace our aging family sedan. Instead, my DeLorean fix came in the form of online window shopping during slow workdays and enthusiastically detailing the car’s unique features to my patient wife, who would masterfully steer the conversation elsewhere.
However, fate, and perhaps a touch of 80s nostalgia, intervened. My first novel, deeply influenced by the pop culture of the 1980s, was completed. It felt almost destined that my protagonist should drive the decade’s most iconic vehicle. In a twist that felt like something out of a movie itself, selling that novel finally made the impossible possible. The justification, at least in my head, was that purchasing a DeLorean would serve as the ultimate author photo opportunity and a unique promotional vehicle for book conventions and signings. My wife remained unconvinced, but I held out hope that my tax accountant might see the promotional genius in my plan.
The search led me to a pristine 1982 DeLorean, one of the last produced before the factory closure, available at a dealership in Houston, Texas for $37,000. The drive home was nothing short of a dream realized. While the DeLorean’s handling is undeniably that of a thirty-year-old car – lacking power steering and modern speed – behind the wheel, I felt transported, not just geographically, but metaphorically into the cockpit of a spaceship.
Every drive in the DeLorean is an event. It attracts attention wherever it goes. Fellow drivers honk and offer thumbs up, and even law enforcement officers greet it with smiles and nods. Even mundane errands to the supermarket become enjoyable when they involve driving the DeLorean. Returning to the car in a parking lot often means encountering a small crowd of people taking pictures and peering inside, captivated by its unique allure.
My wife’s initial skepticism began to wane during a drive one day when a pedestrian stopped in the middle of the road, quite literally kneeling in reverence at the DeLorean’s hood. It was then that she seemed to grasp the car’s magnetic appeal. Now, the DeLorean has become our go-to vehicle for date nights, a testament to its unexpected charm and enduring appeal.
Naturally, the modifications have begun. The most frequent question from onlookers was, “Where’s the flux capacitor?” To address this, I acquired a screen-accurate replica from a prop builder. Now, mounted in the back of the car, when plugged into the cigarette lighter, it lights up and hums, mirroring its movie counterpart. Even the license plate, ECTO88, is a nod to the 88mph speed required for time travel in the films.
With more movie-inspired enhancements planned, I sometimes wonder about the legality of driving it on public roads once completed. But, echoing Doc Brown himself, “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” The DeLorean DMC-12, forever immortalized as the car in Back to the Future, is more than just a vehicle; it’s a symbol of dreams, nostalgia, and the enduring magic of cinema.
