The modern automotive auction craze can be attributed partially to the rise of online sites like Bring a Trailer and, more recently, partially to the growing community of enthusiasts looking for something to do during the coronavirus pandemic. But used car values had been climbing for a solid decade or so even before Covid-19, especially as typified by the air-cooled Porsche explosion. Meanwhile, any car with Hollywood celebrity provenance can be counted upon to draw huge sums of money—but what about a car that is itself a film star? Well, that prospect will get tested over the next month or so as the website Charitybuzz has just listed a custom DeLorean DMC-12 built with parts used in the original Back to the Future films.
A Time Machine Being Sold For Charity
This movie-inspired DeLorean was built up to perfectly match the hero cars, with the highlight being the original Flux Capacitor that appeared in the stunt cars for all three Back to the Future installments. The build was completed by Danny Botkin, Kevin Pike, and Joe Walser, and also appeared on Discovery Plus and the Discovery Channel.
1981 Model Year With The Automatic
As a piece of automotive and Hollywood history simultaneously, this DeLorean could seem like a solid investment. But anyone looking for a fun driver should look elsewhere, as the car began its life as a 1981 model year with the automatic slushbox—and all the added weight of the props and components should only further tax the three-speed transmission and the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 engine mounted amidships. Good luck even getting up to 88 miles per hour.
Proceeds Go To Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Extra film-inspired goodies include a fully working remote control system with start, throttle, brake, steering, and power down functions for use in demonstrations, plus a vintage alarm clock, digitial speedometer, additional vents that use a smoke machine for the nuclear reactor, and a Roentgen meter. Bidding currently sits at a whopping $125,000 with reserve not met and 27 days remaining in the auction. Proceeds from bidding will go towards The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Sources: charitybuzz.com and michaeljfox.org.