How the DeLorean became the iconic film car

If John Z. DeLorean hadn’t been arrested in 1982 with a briefcase full of cocaine, the iconic time machine in “Back to the Future” might have been a fridge.

A lead-lined refrigerator served that role in the first two drafts of the screenplay, said Bob Gale who, along with Bob Zemeckis, co-wrote all three “Back to the Future” movies, the first of which debuted in 1985.

“Bob Zemeckis came up with the idea,” Gale recalled. “He said, ‘Wouldn’t it make more sense to build the time machine into a car?'” So why did they choose that car? “DeLorean was on trial. He was news. And that stainless steel finish looks great.”

Some DeLorean owners go to great lengths to make their cars look just like the one seen in all three “Back to the Future” movies. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

The decision created the most iconic car in all of cinema. Without it, the DeLorean, which had fallen out of production by 1983, would be little more than an interesting footnote in automotive history, like the Bricklin before it. The $25,000 DeLorean was out of reach for the average buyer. Its torpid acceleration (0 to 60 mph in 9 seconds) diminished its appeal for the well-heeled speed enthusiast. Thanks to “Back to the Future,” though, those quibbles no longer matter.

“Everyone who owns a DeLorean either got it because of the movie or kept it because of the movie,” Gale said.

That inextricable association just might push someone to purchase a DeLorean on Wednesday. October 21, 2015, marks the date Marty McFly rode to the future in Doc Brown’s time machine.

That was then

Buying a new DeLorean in 1982 would be like spending almost $63,000 today.

The car is a lot more affordable now, according to Ronald Ferguson, president of the DeLorean Owners Association. Jonesin’ for a DeLorean to call your own? Figure on spending about $40,000 for parts, labor and purchase price to get yourself “a good driver.”

“A nice car is one where all the body panels are undented, the fiberglass understructure hasn’t been damaged and the interior is intact,” Ferguson said. “Beyond that, there’s not a lot that can go wrong with it. About two-thirds of all the cars made are still around.”

‘Back to the Future’ gear for right now (pictures)