Throughout the history of cinema, there are many cars that have left their mark on the popular imagination, remembered as main characters in their iconic films. Thus, from the DeLorean in “Back to the Future”, to the Batmobile or the Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond drove in 1964, they have transcended the big screen to live eternally in pop culture.
These great automotive classics in cinema, which attract attention for their original designs and the particular characteristics that differentiate them, continue to be burned into our memory and, from time to time, return with more stories to tell. This is the case of the Ectomobile, also known as Ecto-1, which returns to the streets of New York in the new sequel to the 1984 classic, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”
Words are unnecessary. We fell in love with the Ectomobile from its first appearance. It was then the eccentric car with which the Ghostbusters went in search of ectoplasms to capture; and it still is. With the return of Bill Murray in his original role, the Ecto-1 brings together that mix of eighties nostalgia and novelty. All in one.
The truth is that curious combinations have always been the hallmark of this vehicle, whose origin dates back to the merger of two companies specialized in ambulances and hearses. From this collaboration emerged the Miller-Meteor company and the creation of one of its historic vehicles: the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. This model came with windows, electric door closing and had a pneumatic suspension that was regulated from a control located just below. of the steering wheel. As a starting point for the film, it was modified to be that particular funeral ambulance that perfectly captured the spooky atmosphere of the Ghostbusters.
Painted white and with red stripes on the sides to differentiate it from a conventional ambulance, it quickly became unmistakable. Likewise, the Ghostbusters converted the removable stretcher into a rack to store their proton packs and, as a special feature, added their peculiar siren and the amalgamation of strange gadgets that they carried on their roof to hunt ghosts. Many of them, yes, without very clear functionality.
Forty years after the premiere of the first film in the franchise, the film directed on this occasion by Gil Kenan and released in Spain on March 22, brings us closer to a replica of the original Ectomobile, as was already done in “Ghostbusters: Beyond ” (2021). “Being in a Ghostbusters flight suit and driving the Ecto-1 was a real pleasure,” said Paul Rudd, reprising his role as Mr. Grooberson, in an interview with Total Film, “It’s pretty crazy to think, ‘This It’s the Ecto-1 from the original Ghostbusters and I can drive it.’”
With each new delivery, the beloved Ecto-1 has been incorporating details and improvements. Thus, in 2021, the film equipment included a sliding seat and a modern Chevrolet LS V8 engine. Now, the Ectomobile arrives in theaters with some technical curiosities, such as the ability to deploy an aerial drone equipped with a trap to hunt down ghosts.
The truth is that the model of the first installments has not always been chosen, the original of which is in the Sony Pictures studios. In 2016, with the premiere of Ghostbusters, they presented us with an entirely hearse. It was a 1982 Cadillac DeVille. A variant within the franchise that was only maintained during that production.
With the return of the Ghostbusters, the original Ecto-1 returns and is renewed once again, uniting new generations and those who first came aboard in 1984.