Michael J. Fox's DeLorean Was One of the Greatest Oscars Moments
It’s every sci-fi fan’s dream come to life. At the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday, Michael J. Fox and Seth Rogen came out onto the stage from a faithful replica of the DeLorean DMC-12 that appeared in the film Back to the Future. The iconic vehicle wowed viewers and attendees, with its instantly-recognizable gull-wing doors today serving as a symbol of eighties sci-fi coolness.
“I’m at the Oscars with Michael J. Fox [and] a DeLorean while wearing future shoes,” Rogen said. “All I have to do is sing the Schuyler Sisters song from Hamilton in front of the world and I will have completed my entire bucket list.”
It’s a sign of things to come, as the DeLorean Motor Company makes preparations to produce a 2017 version of the famous car in limited quantities. The new version will be marketed as a replica, but with a few changes like compliance with EPA standards and more advanced brakes. The company is planning for a release later this year, but on its official blog in October, the company explained that it’s facing some regulatory hurdles.
Here’s the moment as it happened:
The original was first released in 1981. It was the first and only car from John DeLorean’s DeLorean Motor Company, as the founder was arrested in 1982 with 55 pounds worth of cocaine. After he was acquitted, his car company collapsed, and with it, the dream of producing 30,000 cars per year died. In 1985, Back to the Future gave the company’s unique car a new lease of life.
Here’s the full clip:
There’s a reason why the DeLorean is so revered. The car’s famous gull-wing door mechanism is one of the lasting icons of the eighties and made a big impression on a whole generation of science fans. This was best exemplified when Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Model X in 2012 and demonstrated its falcon-wing doors: the crowd could barely contain its excitement. Much like how the DeLorean’s unique doors made the time traveling car seem otherworldly, so did the Model X feel like something straight out of the future with its vision of an electric-powered car infrastructure:
Here's a sped-up playback of the Tesla Model X's "falcon-wing" doors making their debut in 2015.
The 2017 model has yet to receive an official release date, but if the stunned Oscars crowd showed anything, it’s that the DeLorean’s design still commands respect.
