/ David Pescovitz / 10:34 am Tue Jul 14, 2009

Ghostbusters Ecto-1 on eBay

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This 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance, converted by Universal Studios into the Ghostbusters' Ecto-1, was up for auction on eBay. The listing does not imply that this was the one used in the movie. I'm sure there were several made for the film and other promotional uses. The high bid was $45k but did not meet the reserve. From the auction listing:
There is not a lot that can be said about this car once you see it you know what it is. This car was owned by Universal Studios as you can see by the copy of the title. This is the real Universal car not a copy. The car runs and drives good it has new tires on it know. The car is in a car Museum right now, when it goes on tour it draws a VERY VERY LARGE crowd.
Ecto-1 on eBay (via Laughing Squid)

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  1. I remember in the DVD commentary of the original, Harold Ramis talking about how they only had one ECTO-1 and it barely made it through shooting. I think he said in one scene they shot it stationary because the engine had dies.

    Of course, this is probably the Universal STUDIOS one, that they used for the live shows.

  2. I believe this is the “Universal Ecto 1” which was a promotional vehicle and not actually in the movie. There are quite a few “real” Ghostbusters cars out there, and most of them were not in the movie. Some aren’t even the same coach builder as the movie car! (I.e. the one in the Volo Auto Museum, priced at $150,000, is NOT a Miller Meteor, and thus not the movie car.)

    Just being owned by a studio doesn’t make it a car that was actually in a movie.

  3. I forgot to add that this is at least a very good reproduction, though. It’s the same coachbuilder and has many of the details right. You can’t tell about everything because of the small size and number of pictures.

    If Randalll’s right that there was only one for the movie, then this is almost certainly not the movie car. Sony has a (or the) ECTO-1 movie car on their studio tour.

  7. David, I know you didn’t, in fact you specifically disclaimed it. But the seller definitely prances about the issue and implies it. They say “This is the real Universal car not a copy,” and show a picture of the title in the studio’s name. If that isn’t implying that it isn’t a movie car, then I apologize, but to most people I think it would. An honest description would be “This is a post-movie reproduction designed for shows and promotions,” not “this is the real … car.”

    Again, that’s the seller’s failing and not yours. They’re just trying to get more money for their car.

  8. You’d be lucky if it has flashing lights. The siren sound was created for the film in post audio production and to my knowledge no siren makes that sound, something completely made up, I don’t know via a computer or some other fashion.

  9. and I’d love to see this flying down a street as well as most any fictional car. We have soo many rich people in the bay area and in america, why don’t they spend it on some fun items instead of another yacht. Bill Gates could totally create a life size Nautilus sub.

  11. “The siren sound was created for the film in post audio production and to my knowledge no siren makes that sound” — sounds like a MAKE project right there

  12. I suspect my 6 yr old nephew, who is a Ghostbusteraholic (he lives, sleeps and eats in his Ghostbusters uniform, and drags his proton pack and ghost containment thingie wherever he goes; at times he insists we refer to him as Venkman), would not care less if that was one actually in the movie or not. It looks right and that’s good enough!

    Although it’s probably a good thing the seller is asking so much for it; I don’t think my sister would be able to fit it into his bedroom…

  13. Attention Paul Allen: you’ve totally got the spare change to buy this and add it to the Science Fiction Museum.

  14. A guy who lived near my grandparent had one of the old tv show batmobiles. He would drive it sometimes in the 4th of July parade.

  15. I heard somewhere that the siren’s “Braaa-oow, braaa-oow” sound was made by sampling a normal ambulance siren and playing it backward.

    -~D~-

  16. Ahhh, a CB radio “whip” antenna…

    My Dad’s car had one. He *loved* CB… in some ways, it was the Twitter of its time.

    27.xxx MHz, AM, 5 watts max transmission power.

    When we had it, we used the original “23 channels” version.

    CB was a fun pop culture phenomenon.

  17. “The car runs and drives good it has new tires on it know.”
    This sentence alone devalues the vehicle by $100k

  18. There is a Ghostbuster car parked on the top level of a parking lot across the street from my building in Honolulu. I’ve only seen it driven a handful of times in the last 6 months. I have no idea what it’s used for.

  19. Oh. my. GOD.

    Anybody want to lend me $50k? Ghostbusters is my favorite movie of all time, and I’m an enormous Ghostbusters dork.

    I. Need. This. Car.

    I actually yelped out loud when I read this. Thanks, David, now all my coworkers think I’m a nutball. :D

  20. Another car was recently restored by Sony Pictures and was toured around for promotion of the GB video game. (with a 40 foot inflated marshmallow man, no less!) I’m not sure if this is the movie car, but it sat on the Sony lot for a long time and it was good to see it get some TLC.

    Since a Miller-Meteor is unobtanium at this point, see how any white wagon or more recent surplus ambulance makes a fantastic Ecto car. One fellow in Colorado used his Subaru compact wagon, and here’s a clip of a larger GM wagon.

  21. #13 YES! same goes with that original blade runner pistol recently on ebay

    #15 sounds interesting, I’d love to find out.

  22. Fantastic. One of the Ecto-1 models is in my hometown, Huntsville, AL, owned by a bail bonding company (Bailbusters). It still looks damn good.

  23. There’s a guy who has a Ecto-1 car and drives it in Salem,Ma around Halloween. It’s the only thing that makes commuting through stupid holiday traffic worth it.

  25. of course it didn’t meet the reserve… the reserve was ridiculously high to make sure it didn’t sell… this is all part of the hype campaign for the new movie…

  26. I saw this car up close and personal. I LOVE the ghostbusters..man, I wish I had 45k…I’d so drive this car around town. ^__~*

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