Designer: Ron Cobb & Andrew Probert
Builder: Universal Studios
Based on: 1981 De Lorean
The Back to the Future trilogy follows Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Dr. Emmett L. Brown (Christopher Lloyd) as they travel through 130 years of history. According to “Doc” Brown, inventor of the flux capacitor, the De Lorean provides a perfect base for a time machine since its stainless steel construction allows for greater “flux dispersal.” The De Lorean underwent a Wilson Hover Conversion in 2015 and is propelled through time and space by a combination of gasoline, plutonium, lightning, garbage and 19th century steam locomotive.
When director Robert Zemeckis and Robert Gale conceived of the first film, the De Lorean was cast, in part, because the car’s gullwing doors made it look like an alien spaceship. Over the course of the two sequels, the Time Machine eventually emerged as a character of its own, undergoing progressive transformation as a result of its time travel experiences. Three visually distinct De Loreans were created for the trilogy, however, this is the only example to appear in all three films.
The time machine was designed by Ron Cobb, Andrew Probert, and Michael Sheffe. Originally the script called for the time machine to be built out of an old refrigerator, but Bob Gale liked the look of the all steel De Lorean with its gullwing doors that looked like a UFO. The original three models took ten weeks to build. All of the extra add-ons to the car are industrial machinery except two: the “Mr. Fusion” unit which is a Krups coffee grinder and the nuclear reactor which is a Dodge Polaris hubcap. All sound effects of the De Lorean driving are made by a Porsche 928 V-8 engine rather than the usual De Lorean V-6.