Are you addicted to “back to the future“Grown up?” Have you ever grown out of this obsession? Do you often quote movies from the 80s where your wife finally leaves you for a man who is willing to watch new movies and eat his vegetables without being told? Okay, so I’ve found the car for you – this Back to the Future themed 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 that is Currently listed in Cars and Tenders. Why bidding has gone up to $35,000 as of this writing, I can’t explain, but then again, I have no idea who these replicas are for.
Now, I will readily admit that I was too young to actually get Back to the Future. I may have lived in the late 1900s and first watched this movie on VHS, but I was an ’89 baby at the time. By the time I was old enough to appreciate Back to the Future, its cultural impact had faded. If I’d been born 20 years earlier and I’d have been 16 when it came out, I might have understood people’s attachment to a prop made from a broken car, but whether it’s age or something, I just don’t get it.
But the thing is, I don’t think this is a Back to the Future thing specifically. I just don’t think there’s any point in having something so obviously a movie prop. Want to build a replica of a black Toyota SR5 from the same series? Go for it. In fact, I even understand paying a little extra for a truck with the correct BTTF look. It’s a subtle nod to those who know, but to everyone else, you’re just driving around in a cool old pickup truck.
The time-machine DMC-12, on the other hand, will only look cool to die-hard fans of the nearly 40-year-old action. If you brought it to a conference or something, I could see the appeal there, but for use outside of conferences? You’re just driving around in an obvious movie prop and acting like you desperately want people to talk to you about your car. For less than $10,000, I might be able to understand that, but these things are for real money! There are five days left in the auction, and as mentioned, bidding has already gone up to $35,000. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing ends up making more money than I make in a year.
The real questions here are “To whom?” and “Why?” While this may sound like I’m being snarky, I promise I really want to understand. What’s the appeal of these cars? Are Generation X aware that 65 is fast approaching them and desperately trying to relive their youth? Please tell me what I’m missing because clearly I’m missing something here.
This article was originally published on our sister site Jalopnik on Friday, October 11.
