September 27, 2025 • 22 mins
The source provides an extensive examination of the Ecto-1, the iconic vehicle from the Ghostbusters film franchise. It details the origins of the car, explaining that it began as a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Futura ambulance, a specialized vehicle chosen for its dramatic styling and utility. The episode then outlines the transformation and modifications necessary to turn the ambulance into the Ghostbusters’ mobile headquarters, including the addition of unique gadgets, the distinctive white-and-red paint, and the "no ghost" logo. Furthermore, the explanation covers the Ecto-1’s narrative role in the original 1984 film and its enduring cultural impact, noting its continued presence in subsequent films, merchandise, and fan culture. Ultimately, the article argues that the Ecto-1 is much more than a car, serving as a flawed, quirky character that embodies the underdog spirit of the Ghostbusters themselves.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, so when you think about truly iconic movie vehicles,
your mind probably jumps to speed, right, or maybe like
super high tech gadgets, sleek design, yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Absolutely, batmobiles, deloreans, Yeah, things build for performance or you know,
looking cool and futuristic.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Exactly built for perfection usually, But what if one of
the most recognizable, most beloved movie cars is actually well
a bit of a clunker.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
A big, heavy, twenty five year old ambulance hers hybrid
to be specific.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Right, a machine that's, let's be honest, kind of falling
apart half the time. It wears its flaws right out there.
And yet somehow it's just as famous, maybe even more
emotionally resonant, than all those perfect high tech machines.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We are, of course, talking about the ECTO one.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
We absolutely are. So today we're doing a deep dive
into the ECDO one. We're going into the history, the design,
the sheer mechanical reality of this thing. Our mission is
to unpack the sources, figure out what makes this specific
modified ninety seen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura so
incredibly special.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's more than just a movie prop.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Much more, way more. We'll look at the context of
that bizarre vintage chassis. It started with the frankly genius
design choices that turned it into this ghost hunting lab
on wheels.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And how this beat up old wagon really became a
cultural icon, a character, really.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Totally a character. Okay, let's get into it. This history
is fascinating.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well, the thing you really got to grasp about the
ECTA one, and this comes through loud and clear in
the sources, is how brilliantly it blends these two sort
of opposing ideas. Okay, like what you've got this very
specific mid century American retro charm, that big Cadillac energy,
but then it's overlaid with this completely functional looking sci
(01:47):
fi tech fictional at tech obviously, but it looks functional, right,
the stuff on the roof exactly. And that combination isn't
just cool, it's like the physical embodiment of the Ghostbusters themselves.
It screams ragtag conventional, making do with what you've got.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It looks exactly like something a bunch of broke, slightly
desperate academics turned paranormal exterminators would.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Drive precisely, and that's why it works so perfectly. It's
authentic to their story.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Okay, So to really get the Ecto one, you need
to understand the car it started as, because it wasn't
just any.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Old car, No, definitely not.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It was specifically a nineteen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura.
And that year nineteen fifty nine that's crucial, isn't.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Oh absolutely crucial. Nineteen fifty nine was like the high
water mark for American automotive extravagance. We're talking peak jet
age design. Fins, big, huge fins. Exaggerated doesn't even cover it.
They were massive, sharp, soaring things, often with these like
bullet or rocket style taillites integrated into them.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It wasn't just styling, though, was it. The sources talk
about the cultural context, right.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It reflected this massive post war optimism, the space race
kicking into high gear. Cars were these symbols of status
of American power, almost like personal rockets for the road.
Cadillacs especially were about luxury size, making a statement, pure
visual drama, total drama in that sense of being enormous,
maybe even a little bit ridiculous. That was the raw
material for the Ecto one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And as you mentioned, it wasn't a standard Cadillac off
the assembly line. Miller Meteor. What was their role?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Okay, so Miller Meteor. They were based in Ohio and
they were what's called a coach builder, a specialized.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
One, meaning they took a basic car and.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Modified it more than modified. They took a heavy, ditty
Cadillac commercial chassis, but basically the frame, the engine, the
front cab, and then they built a completely custom body
onto the back half for professional use.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Ah. Okay, so ambulances, hearses, that kind of thing exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And the future model was particularly interesting because it was
designed as a combination coach combination. Yeah, it could function
as both an ambulance and a hearse, sometimes simultaneously depending
on the internal partition setup, which is you know, Big.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Grim definitely adds a layer of dark humor to its origins.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It does. But structurally, that accommindation design meant it had
to have certain features. A really long wheelbase, you know,
to fit stretchers or caskets, a super robust frame because
these things carried a lot of weight, and critically a
massive interior, just tons of space inside, and that's what
made it perfect for the Ghostbusters later on. That long wheelbase,
(04:20):
the sheer volume inside plus a pretty sturdy va engine.
It could haul the team in all their gear.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
They needed room for proton packs, traps, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And the future I had room to spare. It was
fundamentally built for capacity.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Okay, so let's connect that back to the movie's timeline.
Nineteen fifty nine car nineteen eighty four movie. That's a
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Year gap, a big gap, And the sources are clear
that wasn't an accident. Choosing an old car was delivered.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I even Wrightman's decision, right the director, Yeah, And.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
The sources praise it, saying it gave the car this
slightly ramshackle charm, made it fit the Ghostbusters whole vibe, scrappy,
underfunded making do.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
But here's a question the sources raise sort of implicitly.
Was it purely a genius creative choice or was it
also just what they could afford.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
That's a great point. It was probably both, wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I mean, forty eight hundred dollars for a twenty five
year old specialized, probably quite beaten up vehicle in nineteen
eighty four. That sounds like buying problems.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Oh, definitely, it was likely a necessity they spun into
narrative gold. If they'd used, say, a brand new van,
the Ghostbusters would look competent, funded easily, like a proper business. Right.
But the fifty nine caddy immediately tells you these guys
are outsiders. They're using old tech, relying on ingenuity, probably
held together with duct tape and hope.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
And the sheer size of it. It's hilariously impractical for
nineteen eighties New York City streets totally.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It's just two big, too flamboyant. It screens nineteen fifties
highway cruiser, not urban utility vehicle. It was likely the
cheapest thing they could find that was big enough for
the gear.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So that clash, that tension between the faded glamour of
the fifty nine design and the gritty reality of eighty four.
That's where the personality comes from.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Exactly, necessity became character.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Okay, So Race Dands hands over the cash. Now the
production team has this aging behemoth.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
What next, right, The transformation begins, and this really fell
to the production designer, John Decur in his art department.
Their challenge was huge, turn this functional probably kind of
sad old ambulance hours into the ultimate ghost hunting machine.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Not just making it look cool, but making it look
functional in a sci fi way.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Precisely, they had to visually communicate the Ghostbuster's unique pseudoscientific approach.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
First thing they tackled, obviously, was the paint job. Big
change there, massive change.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
They took away the typical dark, somber colors you'd.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Expect, yeah, like black or maybe dark blue for an ambulance, and.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
They painted it bright, gleaming white with these really bold
red accents, especially those fins.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That white and red is so distinctive. It feels optimistic,
almost heroic, doesn't it completely different vibe.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Absolutely, it makes it visible unique. It stands out from
any real emergency vehicle. It looks less like it's going
to a tragedy and more like it's well busting ghosts,
almost like a comic book car.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And you mentioned the fins. They didn't just paint them red,
They really emphasize them.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
They leaned right into the fifties andess ah. The sources
say this was intentional to amplify that retrofuturistic feel. Makes
the car look almost like it's moving even when it's
standing still, like this huge kind of absurd land rocket.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Okay, now, the roof. That's where things get really wild.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Oh yeah, the rolling laboratory part. Dick Years team just
went to town, loading it up with this incredible dense array
of scientific looking gear.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And it wasn't just random junk, right. The sources mentioned
specific fictional components, right.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
They were designed to suggest specific functions, even if they
didn't actually do anything. You had things people nicknamed the
sniffer maybe suggesting chemical analysis, or the big rotating radar.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Dish, the parabolic dish antenna I think it's sometimes called.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Implying long range detection. And then there were like cyclotrons,
various antenna, weird plumbing cables running everywhere.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
It looks chaotic but convincingly complex exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
The sheer density and apparent complexity were meant to sell
the idea that this car was actively scanning, analyzing, you know,
doing science on the go. It's fantastic visual storytelling.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
And they mix the fictional stuff with real world elements too,
didn't they.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
The lights and sirens, Oh, definitely for authenticity. The flashing lights,
those rotating beacons and strobes, and crucially the siren were
sourced from actual emergency vehicle suppliers.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That siren sound it's legendary.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
It really is. The sources identify it specifically. It's a
federal signal Q to be mechanical siren.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Mechanical not electronic.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Right, It's this big, heavy air driven unit. It produces
this incredibly deep resonant whale that just cuts through everything.
It's not a chirp, it's an roar.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
And choosing that specific powerful sound gave the ecdo One
this weird sense of authority. Didn't it fight the absurdity totally?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That sound means the Ghostbusters are coming. It's become inseparable
from the car's identity, a huge part of its impact.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So you've got the paint, the fins, the roof, rack
full of sci fi glear, the real lights and siren.
What else?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Brandy can't forget the logo?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Ah yes, the no Ghost logo, iconic in.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Itself, designed by Michael C. Gross. Slapping that prominently on
the doors instantly transformed the car from just a weird
custom caddy into the Ghostbusters weird custom caddy. It's their mobile.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Billboard, instantly recognizable. You see that logo on that car,
you know exactly who it is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And they didn't forget practicality entirely. The back end needed
serious work with.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
The proton packs, right, those things looked heavy.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Super heavy and bulky, So they ripped down some of
the rear interior stuff and fitted this custom built sliding rack.
It allowed the team to quickly grab their packs and
gear right out the back door.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
So form and function sort of.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, it's this amazing collision high tech fictional gadgets bolted
onto this gorgeous but fundamentally outdated piece of nineteen fifties
automotive art. It's practical in its own weird way, but
it's always screaming. Look at my fins halftag tag tag
B interior and functional realities.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Let's move inside. Then you mentioned the Miller Meteor.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Was spacious, incredibly spacious. Remember it was designed to carry
people lying down. Essentially, that inherent volume was a huge
asset for the film crew.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
So they could fit cameras in there.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Well, cameras, but also narratively all the Ghostbusters equipment. The
interior got a major overhaul.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
What did they do well?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
They kept that classic, beautiful nineteen fifty nine Cadillac dashboard
up front, you know, the big steering.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Wheel of the chrome, very cool looking dash.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah, gorgeous, But the back half became purely functional. They
built in specialized storage compartments, racks designed specifically to hold
the ghost traps, spare proton packs, bke meters, all that
essential gear.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So you step inside and it's like transitioning from the
fifties to the eighties.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Kind of Yeah, luxury upfront, gritty, practical science lab in
the back. It visually tells the story.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Again, Okay, let's talk about the functional reality, because the
sources make it sound like this thing was temperamental.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Oh, temperamental was putting it mildly. This car was a diva.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
It had a big engine though, a V eight.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, a hefty six point four liter V eight, pushing
out around three hundred and twenty five horse power.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Which sounds okay, right decent for the era.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
But this car weighed a ton, literally, well over two
tons before they added the crew and all that heavy
gear on the roof. We're talking maybe half a ton
of extra weight just bolted on top.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Wow, that's a lot for a twenty five year old suspension.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Exactly the original suspension was designed for, you know, smooth
rides carrying maybe one or two extra people or a casket.
Now it had four guys proton packs and a science
experiment on the roof. The stress must have been immense.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So handling probably wasn't its strong suit handling.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It wasn't nimble at all. Imagine trying to maneuver something
that long, that heavy, that top heavy through crowded Manhattan
streets for action sequences. It must have been a nightmare
for the stunt drivers.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Just parallel parking, it must have been an event.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Huh. Probably needed its own zip code. And remember this
was an antique car. It wasn't built for the kind
of stop start, sharp turn driving needed for filming chases.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So the stories about breakdowns they're true.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Oh, completely true. According to the sources, the Ecto one
was notorious on set. It overheated constantly, it stalled, It
just flat out died, sometimes right in the middle of
a take, blocking traffic.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Oh man, picture that middle of New York City shooting
a scene. Siren wailing and clunk silence exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Must have driven the production team crazy. But what's fascinating
is how that frustration, that reality of the car being
unreliable kind of seeped into its character on screen. How
so it reinforced that whole underdog thing. Yeah, the Ghostbusters
are brilliant, but they're constantly battling budget problems, equipment failures,
and their car breaking down fits right into that.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
It's not a sleek, perfect machine. It's flawed, just like them.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Precisely, the car's real world issues became part of its charm,
part of its story. It needed constant attention, constant fixing,
just like the ghosts they were chasing needed busting. You
ended up rooting for the car because it was struggling.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Okay, let's talk about how the Ecto one actually arrives
in the movie itself. It's pretty memorable.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yeah, the setup is great. The team's just formed. They've
got the firehouse headquarters, but no wheels, and who steps
up race dants Yeah, naturally, the heart and soul, the optimist,
the gearhead of the group. He finds this dilapidated ambulance, and.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
The sources even give us the price tag.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Right, they do forty eight hundred dollars, which back then
for their shoe string budget was a massive investment. You
immediately feel the financial gamble they're taking.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
It's a real leap of faith, driven by pure necessity, and.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
The team's initial reaction when they see it, it's priceless.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Oh yeah, Peter Wenkman's face. Yeah, roans all around, because
let's be real, Initially it looked awful.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
It was Russ Buckett. Let's ready for the scrap yard.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
But Ray Ray sees the potential and he has that
perfect line, the defining quote.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Everybody can relax. I found the car needs some suspension
work in shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission,
rear end.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Uh huh yeah, listing everything wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Maybe new rings, also, mufflers, a little wiring. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
And then the kicker, she's not exactly a looker, but
she'll get us there. That sums it all up, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Perfectly pragmatic, a little desperate, but hopeful. We know it's junk,
but it's there, junk and they need it.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And then boom cut to the transformed Ecto one rolling
out of the fire house, and suddenly it's not junk anymore.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
No way. Once it's rebuilt and painted, it just dominates
the screen. Whenever it appears. It goes from being a
necessary evil to being a total spectacle.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Every entrance is an event that v eight Rumble.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The siren, that Federal Q to B just blasting.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
The light's flashing, all that gear rattling on the roof.
You know something's about to happen.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And it perfectly mirrors the Ghostbusters whole deal. Right. They're
brilliant scientists but also kind of weirdos, misfits, operat outside
the norm, total improvisers, and the Ecto one is like
they're spirit animal on wheels. It's this bizarre combination of
serious equipment or equipment that looks serious, and this completely inappropriate,
flamboyant old car. It elevates the whole film's aesthetic. It's
(15:15):
not just a comedy, it's an action comedy with this
incredibly unique visual signature.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
And that first big call out scene in the Sedgewy
hotel that's really the EKT Too One's big debut as
an action hero, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Oh? Absolutely, that sequence cements its iconic status.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
The sources really emphasize this moment. The car just roars
through Manhattan, siren going nuts, lights blazing.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
And it creates this amazing feeling, this mix of authority
and absurdity, as the sources.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Put it, authority because it sounds and looks like an
emergency vehicle, responding.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
With absurdity because well, look at it. It's a giant
Finn caddy covered in weird tech chasing ghosts.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
That blend is the movie's tone, in a nutshell right,
part action, part comedy, totally unique.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Exactly doesn't just get them to the hotel. It announces
their arrival in the most over the top memorable way possible.
It's their rolling advertisement. We're here, we're weird, and we're
going to solve your ghost problem. Hashtag tag v legacy
and enduring impact, and that impact just grew and grew.
The Kteil one didn't fade away after nineteen eighty four.
It's become a genuine pop culture icon, right.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Up there with the greats. The sources consistently rank it
alongside the Batmobile the Dolorean.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Absolutely, it's achieved that level of recognition where even people
who haven't seen the movie might recognize the car. It's
transcended the film hashtag tag tag tag two subsequent cinematic appearances, and.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It kept coming back in Ghostbusters the second in nineteen
eighty nine, it returned.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Slightly updated right yet they dubbed it the Ecto one
A for the sequel. It had some new decals, more
flashing lights, even more stuff bolted onto the roof, like
digital announcement boards.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
But fundamentally it was the same car, the fifty nine
Miller Meteor.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Oh yeah, they kept that essential chassis, which was smart
because that visual continuity was important for fans. They knew
their slightly beat up hero car.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Was back, which makes the choice for the twenty sixteen
reboot interesting. They went with a different car entirely.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
They did Ghostbusters as the call introduced a new ECDO one,
but this one was based on a much later Cadillac Hearse,
an eighties model.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
How did that go down?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, According to the fan reaction sited in the sources,
not great. Many felt to just lack the charm of
the nineteen fifty nine model.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Why what was missing?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
The fins were gone, obviously, the whole silhouette was different, boxier,
less extravagant. It didn't have that same clash between the
old school glamour and the bolted on tech. It felt
more like just a Hearse with some lights on it.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
It highlights how specific the appeal of that original fifty
nine design really was.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Absolutely it proved that the Miller Metior wasn't just a
car they used. It was the car indispensable, which.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Explains why for Ghostbusters After Life in twenty twenty one,
bringing back the original ECDO one was such a huge deal.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Massive deal, and the way they reintroduced it was brilliant.
Found literallytting in a barn, weathered and dusty, as the
sources describe it.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It wasn't just a cameo, was it. It felt central to.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
The story, totally central. It was this direct, tangible link
to the original Team two Egon's legacy. Afterlife really leaned
into the car's history, even revealing new features like that
hidden gunner.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Seed, expanding its mythology exactly seeing.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
It rusty and broken down then slowly coming back to life. Yeah,
it reinforced the passage of time, the history it carried.
It cemented the fifty nine Miller Metior as the one true,
irreplaceable Ecto one canon hashtags, tag tag b beyond the
screen and merchandise and its influence goes way beyond the movies.
You see the Ecto one everywhere in merchandise.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Oh yeah, toy cars, model kits.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Everything from cheap die cast cars for kids to incredibly
detailed high end collectors models where people obsess over every
antenna and wire on the roof rack.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Lego sets too, right, those were huge.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Hugely popular Lego sets. Its shape is just so unique
and recognizable. It translates perfectly to toys and models. It's
instantly marketable.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
And it lived on another media too, definitely.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
It was a star in the Real Ghostbusters animated series
back in the eighties and nineties, often drawn with even
more exaggerated features, you know, bigger fins, crazier gadgets, perfect
for a cartoon, and then video games. Being able to
actually drive the Ecto one in the two thousand and
nine Ghostbusters the video game was a massive thrill for fans.
You could really feel its weight, its lack of cornering.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Ability, experiencing the temperamental nature firsthand pretty much.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
But maybe the ultimate tribute is the fan community.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
The replicas.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, the sources talk about this phenomenon, fans building their
own Ecto one clones. And these aren't quick jobs.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
No, finding a nineteen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura.
That's got to be incredibly hard, now extremely hard.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
They're rare, they're expensive, they usually need massive restoration before
you even start adding the Ghostbusters stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
So people are spending years, fortunes.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Absolutely tracking down the right vintage parts, the specific light bars,
the correct pink codes, even hunting down an authentic Federal
Q TWOB siren just to get that perfect sound.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
That's dedication.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
It's incredible passion. And these fan built ectos they become
like moving shrines. They show up at comic conventions, charity events,
they keep the spirit alive in the real world. It
shows how much people want to connect with, even possess
a piece of that flawed, wonderful icon. So when you
boil it all down, what's the secret sauce? Why does
the Ecto one endure?
Speaker 1 (20:30):
It seems to be that clash you mentioned earlier, right,
that mix exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It's deeply nostalgic. That over the top fifty nine caddy
design is pure mid century optimism. But it's also weirdly futuristic,
or at least looks futuristic with all that pseudoscience gear bolted.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
On vintage Americana meets junkyard sci fi.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Perfectly put, and that blend makes it timeless somehow. It
doesn't quite belong to any single era, and it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Connects back to what we said about its personality. It
resonates because it isn't perfect. It's like the Ghostbusters themselves.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Absolutely, it's quirky, it's flawed. It's probably always one pothole
away from a major breakdown.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Requires constant tinkering.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
And care, a little rough around the edges, but ultimately
it shows up and gets the job done when it counts.
That history of breaking down on set that doesn't hurt
its image, it enhances. It makes it relatable.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Less like a pristine prop more like a member of
the team, a slightly high maintenance member.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Exactly. It perfectly embodies that underdog spirit. These are regular guys,
you know, tackling impossible supernatural stuff with brains, humor and
this incredibly cool but fundamentally beat up old car.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
It's a symbol of making do of ingenuity, triumphing over
limitations using the tools you have.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Couldn't say it better, which brings us.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
To a final thought, something for you, the listener, to
maybe think about. Imagine if they had made the sensible
choice back in nineteen.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Eighty four, if they'd used a reliable, modern van.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, something practical, easy to film with, wouldn't stall out
in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Production would have been smoother, for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
No doubt. But would that vehicle have become an icon.
Would we feel that same emotional connection to a perfectly functional,
unremarkable van unlikely the ecdo ones runaway success with its
absurd fins, its temperamental engine, its visible history. It really
suggests that maybe the technology we love the most, the
fictional icons that truly stick with us, are often the
(22:24):
ones that aren't perfect.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The ones that show their seems.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Exactly So, what other fictional machines, what other pieces of
beloved tech and stories succeed precisely because they're a bit broken,
because they need that human touch, that repair, that understanding
that comes from dealing with something flawed but cherished.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Maybe the imperfections aren't just charming side effects. Maybe they're
the whole point, all.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Right, That's where the heart comes from. Something to think about.
Okay, so when you think about truly iconic movie vehicles,
your mind probably jumps to speed, right, or maybe like
super high tech gadgets, sleek design, yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Absolutely, batmobiles, deloreans, Yeah, things build for performance or you know,
looking cool and futuristic.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Exactly built for perfection usually, But what if one of
the most recognizable, most beloved movie cars is actually well
a bit of a clunker.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
A big, heavy, twenty five year old ambulance hers hybrid
to be specific.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Right, a machine that's, let's be honest, kind of falling
apart half the time. It wears its flaws right out there.
And yet somehow it's just as famous, maybe even more
emotionally resonant, than all those perfect high tech machines.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We are, of course, talking about the ECTO one.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
We absolutely are. So today we're doing a deep dive
into the ECDO one. We're going into the history, the design,
the sheer mechanical reality of this thing. Our mission is
to unpack the sources, figure out what makes this specific
modified ninety seen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura so
incredibly special.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's more than just a movie prop.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Much more, way more. We'll look at the context of
that bizarre vintage chassis. It started with the frankly genius
design choices that turned it into this ghost hunting lab
on wheels.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And how this beat up old wagon really became a
cultural icon, a character, really.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Totally a character. Okay, let's get into it. This history
is fascinating.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well, the thing you really got to grasp about the
ECTA one, and this comes through loud and clear in
the sources, is how brilliantly it blends these two sort
of opposing ideas. Okay, like what you've got this very
specific mid century American retro charm, that big Cadillac energy,
but then it's overlaid with this completely functional looking sci
(01:47):
fi tech fictional at tech obviously, but it looks functional, right,
the stuff on the roof exactly. And that combination isn't
just cool, it's like the physical embodiment of the Ghostbusters themselves.
It screams ragtag conventional, making do with what you've got.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It looks exactly like something a bunch of broke, slightly
desperate academics turned paranormal exterminators would.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Drive precisely, and that's why it works so perfectly. It's
authentic to their story.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Okay, So to really get the Ecto one, you need
to understand the car it started as, because it wasn't
just any.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Old car, No, definitely not.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It was specifically a nineteen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura.
And that year nineteen fifty nine that's crucial, isn't.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Oh absolutely crucial. Nineteen fifty nine was like the high
water mark for American automotive extravagance. We're talking peak jet
age design. Fins, big, huge fins. Exaggerated doesn't even cover it.
They were massive, sharp, soaring things, often with these like
bullet or rocket style taillites integrated into them.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It wasn't just styling, though, was it. The sources talk
about the cultural context, right.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It reflected this massive post war optimism, the space race
kicking into high gear. Cars were these symbols of status
of American power, almost like personal rockets for the road.
Cadillacs especially were about luxury size, making a statement, pure
visual drama, total drama in that sense of being enormous,
maybe even a little bit ridiculous. That was the raw
material for the Ecto one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And as you mentioned, it wasn't a standard Cadillac off
the assembly line. Miller Meteor. What was their role?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Okay, so Miller Meteor. They were based in Ohio and
they were what's called a coach builder, a specialized.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
One, meaning they took a basic car and.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Modified it more than modified. They took a heavy, ditty
Cadillac commercial chassis, but basically the frame, the engine, the
front cab, and then they built a completely custom body
onto the back half for professional use.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Ah. Okay, so ambulances, hearses, that kind of thing exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And the future model was particularly interesting because it was
designed as a combination coach combination. Yeah, it could function
as both an ambulance and a hearse, sometimes simultaneously depending
on the internal partition setup, which is you know, Big.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Grim definitely adds a layer of dark humor to its origins.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It does. But structurally, that accommindation design meant it had
to have certain features. A really long wheelbase, you know,
to fit stretchers or caskets, a super robust frame because
these things carried a lot of weight, and critically a
massive interior, just tons of space inside, and that's what
made it perfect for the Ghostbusters later on. That long wheelbase,
(04:20):
the sheer volume inside plus a pretty sturdy va engine.
It could haul the team in all their gear.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
They needed room for proton packs, traps, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And the future I had room to spare. It was
fundamentally built for capacity.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Okay, so let's connect that back to the movie's timeline.
Nineteen fifty nine car nineteen eighty four movie. That's a
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Year gap, a big gap, And the sources are clear
that wasn't an accident. Choosing an old car was delivered.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I even Wrightman's decision, right the director, Yeah, And.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
The sources praise it, saying it gave the car this
slightly ramshackle charm, made it fit the Ghostbusters whole vibe, scrappy,
underfunded making do.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
But here's a question the sources raise sort of implicitly.
Was it purely a genius creative choice or was it
also just what they could afford.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
That's a great point. It was probably both, wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I mean, forty eight hundred dollars for a twenty five
year old specialized, probably quite beaten up vehicle in nineteen
eighty four. That sounds like buying problems.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Oh, definitely, it was likely a necessity they spun into
narrative gold. If they'd used, say, a brand new van,
the Ghostbusters would look competent, funded easily, like a proper business. Right.
But the fifty nine caddy immediately tells you these guys
are outsiders. They're using old tech, relying on ingenuity, probably
held together with duct tape and hope.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
And the sheer size of it. It's hilariously impractical for
nineteen eighties New York City streets totally.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It's just two big, too flamboyant. It screens nineteen fifties
highway cruiser, not urban utility vehicle. It was likely the
cheapest thing they could find that was big enough for
the gear.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So that clash, that tension between the faded glamour of
the fifty nine design and the gritty reality of eighty four.
That's where the personality comes from.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Exactly, necessity became character.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Okay, So Race Dands hands over the cash. Now the
production team has this aging behemoth.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
What next, right, The transformation begins, and this really fell
to the production designer, John Decur in his art department.
Their challenge was huge, turn this functional probably kind of
sad old ambulance hours into the ultimate ghost hunting machine.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Not just making it look cool, but making it look
functional in a sci fi way.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Precisely, they had to visually communicate the Ghostbuster's unique pseudoscientific approach.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
First thing they tackled, obviously, was the paint job. Big
change there, massive change.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
They took away the typical dark, somber colors you'd.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Expect, yeah, like black or maybe dark blue for an ambulance, and.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
They painted it bright, gleaming white with these really bold
red accents, especially those fins.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That white and red is so distinctive. It feels optimistic,
almost heroic, doesn't it completely different vibe.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Absolutely, it makes it visible unique. It stands out from
any real emergency vehicle. It looks less like it's going
to a tragedy and more like it's well busting ghosts,
almost like a comic book car.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And you mentioned the fins. They didn't just paint them red,
They really emphasize them.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
They leaned right into the fifties andess ah. The sources
say this was intentional to amplify that retrofuturistic feel. Makes
the car look almost like it's moving even when it's
standing still, like this huge kind of absurd land rocket.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Okay, now, the roof. That's where things get really wild.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Oh yeah, the rolling laboratory part. Dick Years team just
went to town, loading it up with this incredible dense array
of scientific looking gear.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And it wasn't just random junk, right. The sources mentioned
specific fictional components, right.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
They were designed to suggest specific functions, even if they
didn't actually do anything. You had things people nicknamed the
sniffer maybe suggesting chemical analysis, or the big rotating radar.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Dish, the parabolic dish antenna I think it's sometimes called.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Implying long range detection. And then there were like cyclotrons,
various antenna, weird plumbing cables running everywhere.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
It looks chaotic but convincingly complex exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
The sheer density and apparent complexity were meant to sell
the idea that this car was actively scanning, analyzing, you know,
doing science on the go. It's fantastic visual storytelling.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
And they mix the fictional stuff with real world elements too,
didn't they.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
The lights and sirens, Oh, definitely for authenticity. The flashing lights,
those rotating beacons and strobes, and crucially the siren were
sourced from actual emergency vehicle suppliers.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That siren sound it's legendary.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
It really is. The sources identify it specifically. It's a
federal signal Q to be mechanical siren.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Mechanical not electronic.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Right, It's this big, heavy air driven unit. It produces
this incredibly deep resonant whale that just cuts through everything.
It's not a chirp, it's an roar.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
And choosing that specific powerful sound gave the ecdo One
this weird sense of authority. Didn't it fight the absurdity totally?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That sound means the Ghostbusters are coming. It's become inseparable
from the car's identity, a huge part of its impact.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So you've got the paint, the fins, the roof, rack
full of sci fi glear, the real lights and siren.
What else?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Brandy can't forget the logo?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Ah yes, the no Ghost logo, iconic in.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Itself, designed by Michael C. Gross. Slapping that prominently on
the doors instantly transformed the car from just a weird
custom caddy into the Ghostbusters weird custom caddy. It's their mobile.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Billboard, instantly recognizable. You see that logo on that car,
you know exactly who it is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And they didn't forget practicality entirely. The back end needed
serious work with.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
The proton packs, right, those things looked heavy.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Super heavy and bulky, So they ripped down some of
the rear interior stuff and fitted this custom built sliding rack.
It allowed the team to quickly grab their packs and
gear right out the back door.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
So form and function sort of.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, it's this amazing collision high tech fictional gadgets bolted
onto this gorgeous but fundamentally outdated piece of nineteen fifties
automotive art. It's practical in its own weird way, but
it's always screaming. Look at my fins halftag tag tag
B interior and functional realities.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Let's move inside. Then you mentioned the Miller Meteor.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Was spacious, incredibly spacious. Remember it was designed to carry
people lying down. Essentially, that inherent volume was a huge
asset for the film crew.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
So they could fit cameras in there.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Well, cameras, but also narratively all the Ghostbusters equipment. The
interior got a major overhaul.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
What did they do well?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
They kept that classic, beautiful nineteen fifty nine Cadillac dashboard
up front, you know, the big steering.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Wheel of the chrome, very cool looking dash.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah, gorgeous, But the back half became purely functional. They
built in specialized storage compartments, racks designed specifically to hold
the ghost traps, spare proton packs, bke meters, all that
essential gear.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So you step inside and it's like transitioning from the
fifties to the eighties.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Kind of Yeah, luxury upfront, gritty, practical science lab in
the back. It visually tells the story.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Again, Okay, let's talk about the functional reality, because the
sources make it sound like this thing was temperamental.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Oh, temperamental was putting it mildly. This car was a diva.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
It had a big engine though, a V eight.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, a hefty six point four liter V eight, pushing
out around three hundred and twenty five horse power.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Which sounds okay, right decent for the era.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
But this car weighed a ton, literally, well over two
tons before they added the crew and all that heavy
gear on the roof. We're talking maybe half a ton
of extra weight just bolted on top.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Wow, that's a lot for a twenty five year old suspension.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Exactly the original suspension was designed for, you know, smooth
rides carrying maybe one or two extra people or a casket.
Now it had four guys proton packs and a science
experiment on the roof. The stress must have been immense.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So handling probably wasn't its strong suit handling.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It wasn't nimble at all. Imagine trying to maneuver something
that long, that heavy, that top heavy through crowded Manhattan
streets for action sequences. It must have been a nightmare
for the stunt drivers.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Just parallel parking, it must have been an event.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Huh. Probably needed its own zip code. And remember this
was an antique car. It wasn't built for the kind
of stop start, sharp turn driving needed for filming chases.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So the stories about breakdowns they're true.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Oh, completely true. According to the sources, the Ecto one
was notorious on set. It overheated constantly, it stalled, It
just flat out died, sometimes right in the middle of
a take, blocking traffic.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Oh man, picture that middle of New York City shooting
a scene. Siren wailing and clunk silence exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Must have driven the production team crazy. But what's fascinating
is how that frustration, that reality of the car being
unreliable kind of seeped into its character on screen. How
so it reinforced that whole underdog thing. Yeah, the Ghostbusters
are brilliant, but they're constantly battling budget problems, equipment failures,
and their car breaking down fits right into that.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
It's not a sleek, perfect machine. It's flawed, just like them.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Precisely, the car's real world issues became part of its charm,
part of its story. It needed constant attention, constant fixing,
just like the ghosts they were chasing needed busting. You
ended up rooting for the car because it was struggling.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Okay, let's talk about how the Ecto one actually arrives
in the movie itself. It's pretty memorable.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yeah, the setup is great. The team's just formed. They've
got the firehouse headquarters, but no wheels, and who steps
up race dants Yeah, naturally, the heart and soul, the optimist,
the gearhead of the group. He finds this dilapidated ambulance, and.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
The sources even give us the price tag.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Right, they do forty eight hundred dollars, which back then
for their shoe string budget was a massive investment. You
immediately feel the financial gamble they're taking.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
It's a real leap of faith, driven by pure necessity, and.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
The team's initial reaction when they see it, it's priceless.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Oh yeah, Peter Wenkman's face. Yeah, roans all around, because
let's be real, Initially it looked awful.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
It was Russ Buckett. Let's ready for the scrap yard.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
But Ray Ray sees the potential and he has that
perfect line, the defining quote.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Everybody can relax. I found the car needs some suspension
work in shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission,
rear end.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Uh huh yeah, listing everything wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Maybe new rings, also, mufflers, a little wiring. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
And then the kicker, she's not exactly a looker, but
she'll get us there. That sums it all up, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Perfectly pragmatic, a little desperate, but hopeful. We know it's junk,
but it's there, junk and they need it.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And then boom cut to the transformed Ecto one rolling
out of the fire house, and suddenly it's not junk anymore.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
No way. Once it's rebuilt and painted, it just dominates
the screen. Whenever it appears. It goes from being a
necessary evil to being a total spectacle.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Every entrance is an event that v eight Rumble.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The siren, that Federal Q to B just blasting.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
The light's flashing, all that gear rattling on the roof.
You know something's about to happen.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And it perfectly mirrors the Ghostbusters whole deal. Right. They're
brilliant scientists but also kind of weirdos, misfits, operat outside
the norm, total improvisers, and the Ecto one is like
they're spirit animal on wheels. It's this bizarre combination of
serious equipment or equipment that looks serious, and this completely inappropriate,
flamboyant old car. It elevates the whole film's aesthetic. It's
(15:15):
not just a comedy, it's an action comedy with this
incredibly unique visual signature.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
And that first big call out scene in the Sedgewy
hotel that's really the EKT Too One's big debut as
an action hero, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Oh? Absolutely, that sequence cements its iconic status.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
The sources really emphasize this moment. The car just roars
through Manhattan, siren going nuts, lights blazing.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
And it creates this amazing feeling, this mix of authority
and absurdity, as the sources.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Put it, authority because it sounds and looks like an
emergency vehicle, responding.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
With absurdity because well, look at it. It's a giant
Finn caddy covered in weird tech chasing ghosts.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
That blend is the movie's tone, in a nutshell right,
part action, part comedy, totally unique.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Exactly doesn't just get them to the hotel. It announces
their arrival in the most over the top memorable way possible.
It's their rolling advertisement. We're here, we're weird, and we're
going to solve your ghost problem. Hashtag tag v legacy
and enduring impact, and that impact just grew and grew.
The Kteil one didn't fade away after nineteen eighty four.
It's become a genuine pop culture icon, right.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Up there with the greats. The sources consistently rank it
alongside the Batmobile the Dolorean.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Absolutely, it's achieved that level of recognition where even people
who haven't seen the movie might recognize the car. It's
transcended the film hashtag tag tag tag two subsequent cinematic appearances, and.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It kept coming back in Ghostbusters the second in nineteen
eighty nine, it returned.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Slightly updated right yet they dubbed it the Ecto one
A for the sequel. It had some new decals, more
flashing lights, even more stuff bolted onto the roof, like
digital announcement boards.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
But fundamentally it was the same car, the fifty nine
Miller Meteor.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Oh yeah, they kept that essential chassis, which was smart
because that visual continuity was important for fans. They knew
their slightly beat up hero car.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Was back, which makes the choice for the twenty sixteen
reboot interesting. They went with a different car entirely.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
They did Ghostbusters as the call introduced a new ECDO one,
but this one was based on a much later Cadillac Hearse,
an eighties model.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
How did that go down?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, According to the fan reaction sited in the sources,
not great. Many felt to just lack the charm of
the nineteen fifty nine model.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Why what was missing?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
The fins were gone, obviously, the whole silhouette was different, boxier,
less extravagant. It didn't have that same clash between the
old school glamour and the bolted on tech. It felt
more like just a Hearse with some lights on it.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
It highlights how specific the appeal of that original fifty
nine design really was.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Absolutely it proved that the Miller Metior wasn't just a
car they used. It was the car indispensable, which.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Explains why for Ghostbusters After Life in twenty twenty one,
bringing back the original ECDO one was such a huge deal.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Massive deal, and the way they reintroduced it was brilliant.
Found literallytting in a barn, weathered and dusty, as the
sources describe it.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It wasn't just a cameo, was it. It felt central to.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
The story, totally central. It was this direct, tangible link
to the original Team two Egon's legacy. Afterlife really leaned
into the car's history, even revealing new features like that
hidden gunner.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Seed, expanding its mythology exactly seeing.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
It rusty and broken down then slowly coming back to life. Yeah,
it reinforced the passage of time, the history it carried.
It cemented the fifty nine Miller Metior as the one true,
irreplaceable Ecto one canon hashtags, tag tag b beyond the
screen and merchandise and its influence goes way beyond the movies.
You see the Ecto one everywhere in merchandise.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Oh yeah, toy cars, model kits.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Everything from cheap die cast cars for kids to incredibly
detailed high end collectors models where people obsess over every
antenna and wire on the roof rack.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Lego sets too, right, those were huge.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Hugely popular Lego sets. Its shape is just so unique
and recognizable. It translates perfectly to toys and models. It's
instantly marketable.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
And it lived on another media too, definitely.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
It was a star in the Real Ghostbusters animated series
back in the eighties and nineties, often drawn with even
more exaggerated features, you know, bigger fins, crazier gadgets, perfect
for a cartoon, and then video games. Being able to
actually drive the Ecto one in the two thousand and
nine Ghostbusters the video game was a massive thrill for fans.
You could really feel its weight, its lack of cornering.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Ability, experiencing the temperamental nature firsthand pretty much.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
But maybe the ultimate tribute is the fan community.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
The replicas.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, the sources talk about this phenomenon, fans building their
own Ecto one clones. And these aren't quick jobs.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
No, finding a nineteen fifty nine Cadillac Miller Meteor Futura.
That's got to be incredibly hard, now extremely hard.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
They're rare, they're expensive, they usually need massive restoration before
you even start adding the Ghostbusters stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
So people are spending years, fortunes.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Absolutely tracking down the right vintage parts, the specific light bars,
the correct pink codes, even hunting down an authentic Federal
Q TWOB siren just to get that perfect sound.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
That's dedication.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
It's incredible passion. And these fan built ectos they become
like moving shrines. They show up at comic conventions, charity events,
they keep the spirit alive in the real world. It
shows how much people want to connect with, even possess
a piece of that flawed, wonderful icon. So when you
boil it all down, what's the secret sauce? Why does
the Ecto one endure?
Speaker 1 (20:30):
It seems to be that clash you mentioned earlier, right,
that mix exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It's deeply nostalgic. That over the top fifty nine caddy
design is pure mid century optimism. But it's also weirdly futuristic,
or at least looks futuristic with all that pseudoscience gear bolted.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
On vintage Americana meets junkyard sci fi.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Perfectly put, and that blend makes it timeless somehow. It
doesn't quite belong to any single era, and it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Connects back to what we said about its personality. It
resonates because it isn't perfect. It's like the Ghostbusters themselves.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Absolutely, it's quirky, it's flawed. It's probably always one pothole
away from a major breakdown.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Requires constant tinkering.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
And care, a little rough around the edges, but ultimately
it shows up and gets the job done when it counts.
That history of breaking down on set that doesn't hurt
its image, it enhances. It makes it relatable.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Less like a pristine prop more like a member of
the team, a slightly high maintenance member.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Exactly. It perfectly embodies that underdog spirit. These are regular guys,
you know, tackling impossible supernatural stuff with brains, humor and
this incredibly cool but fundamentally beat up old car.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
It's a symbol of making do of ingenuity, triumphing over
limitations using the tools you have.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Couldn't say it better, which brings us.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
To a final thought, something for you, the listener, to
maybe think about. Imagine if they had made the sensible
choice back in nineteen.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Eighty four, if they'd used a reliable, modern van.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, something practical, easy to film with, wouldn't stall out
in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Production would have been smoother, for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
No doubt. But would that vehicle have become an icon.
Would we feel that same emotional connection to a perfectly functional,
unremarkable van unlikely the ecdo ones runaway success with its
absurd fins, its temperamental engine, its visible history. It really
suggests that maybe the technology we love the most, the
fictional icons that truly stick with us, are often the
(22:24):
ones that aren't perfect.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The ones that show their seems.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Exactly So, what other fictional machines, what other pieces of
beloved tech and stories succeed precisely because they're a bit broken,
because they need that human touch, that repair, that understanding
that comes from dealing with something flawed but cherished.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Maybe the imperfections aren't just charming side effects. Maybe they're
the whole point, all.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Right, That's where the heart comes from. Something to think about.
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