Where Have All the Famous Cars Gone?

All through our lives we see famous cars on films, TV shows and news clips but where do they end up after they go off the screen? You’re about to find out…

1. 

   Photo credit: Dave Nakayama

   Back to the Future DeLorean.
   I got kind of lost towards the end of the BttF Series (does anyone even call it that?) and I have no idea in what year they ended up or how ZZ Top got involved. Anyway, those clever movie dudes used 6 different DeLoreans. One is in the Universal Studios display and the other 5 are owned privately by some very lucky people.

2. James Dean and his Porsche Spyder.
   In 1955 a man with the everyday, common as muck name of Donald Turnupseed made a dodgy left turn, caused the death of James Dean, said “I didn’t see him” and was told by police to hitchhike his way home. So far so good but what about the blooming car? Well, the remains of the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder Dean was driving were sold. They were said to be cursed or jinxed though and people using the parts got involved in mysterious accidents and some even, gasp, died. The remainder of the car disappeared in 1960 and hasn’t made a public appearance since.
3. The Clampett Vehicle.
   I only added this one because I found a picture of it and it made me laugh. I vaguely remember watching the Beverly Hillbillies and thinking, “What is that all about?” It is a 1921 Oldsmobile and it is now taking up pride of place in the Ralph Foster Museum. What do you mean, you don’t know where that is? It’s in the College of the Ozarks, of course. Point Lookout. Missouri. No, I have no idea either.
4. Archduke Ferdinand Limo.
   Even less entertaining than the adventures of the hillbillies were the history lessons I suffered at school. Strangely, I am now a lot more interested in things like Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination than I was then. The killing which just about caused WWI to kick off happened in Sarajevo and the limo he was in is now in the easy to pronounce Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna. If you want to find the museum just print this page off and show it to people instead of trying to say the name. Actually, don’t do that, as they might send you to the College of the Ozarks instead.