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The BMW from “Back to the Future”

Stop film lovers! Don’t go for the jugular of this humble blogger! The best known car from the film “Back to the Future” is undoubtedly the DeLorean DMC-12, manufactured by DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) between 1981 and 1982.

But we can assure you that Back to the Future features a BMW. Which one?

To give you some background, Back to the Future is a science fiction comedy film directed and written by Robert Zemeckis in 1985, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in the lead roles. It tells the adventures of Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels back in time from 1985, his own time, to 1955, using a time machine made by his friend Doc Emmett on the basis of the aforementioned DeLorean. The film was a huge success, leading to two sequels in which the DeLorean plays a major role.

Its unusual design, with gull-wing doors and unpainted stainless steel bodywork, led to the DeLorean, whose bodywork had been designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, becoming a cult car, although it did not meet the expectations of those who had bought one. The company’s mechanical, quality and economic problems led to only 8,500 units being produced before it was finally closed down in 1982. Later John DeLorean, the company’s founder, had legal problems related to an alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

But…… So, in the second part of the film Back to the Future, a BMW 635 CSi appears, suitably modified to look like a car from the future. It belonged to Marty’s rival in the film, Griff Tannen. Aesthetic modifications that we suppose were what the film’s designers had in mind that could represent a vehicle of the future. A future that we are already living in today, and which is a far cry, in terms of design, from the cars that BMW makes today.

Here’s the proof. And it’s not the first time a BMW 6 Series has appeared in film and television.

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