James Bond has the Aston Martin, Marty McFly and Doc Emmett Brown have the DeLorean, and Batman has the Batmobile. There are many iconic movie cars out there and the Ghostbusters drive one of them, the Ecto-1 which later became the Ecto-1A across both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.
The Ecto-1 made its triumphant return with Ghostbusters: Afterlife but what many might not know is that this iconic machine has had quite a history both on and off the set of Ghostbusters. From the history of the car itself to little touches throughout the three films that make the car so unique, there's a lot for fans to learn about the Ecto-1.
Cadillac Miller-Meteor
The base for the Ecto-1 is a vehicle with a complicated history, according to The Drive. The Wayne Corporation and the A.J. Miller Company were originally competitors: one company made buses while the other made hearses and ambulances. That is until A.J. Miller was bought up by the Wayne Corporation.
As a result, the Cadillac Miller-Meteor was made and released in 1959. There were only 400 of the Miller-Meteor ever constructed, making it a rare breed of a car even back in 1984 when it was used to create the Ecto-1.
The Largest Tailfins On A Car
One of the Ecto-1's defining features is the tailfins sported on the back of the vehicle. Plenty of cars feature tailfins but the Cadillac Miller-Meteor features the largest tailfins on any car, according to The Drive. Cadillac would actually use the same tailfins on another vehicle: the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.
It's one of those aspects that prove the car was flashier than it was reliable. Apparently, the Cadillac Miller-Meteor was awkward to drive due to its bulk and that was before all the additions added to make it into Ecto-1.
Ecto-1 Was Going To Be A Different Car
Fans know the Cadillac Miller-Meteor as the beloved Ecto-1 but it was not what Dan Aykroyd originally intended for the Ghostbusters to drive. According to Alt-Driver, in the original script, Aykroyd wrote the Ghostbusters as driving a 1975 Cadillac.
Instead, in one of the many ways the original Ghostbusters script was changed, the 1959 Miller-Meteor was chosen. However, the 1975 ambulance would end up being the inspiration for the Ecto-1 used in the 2016 reboot; it was a 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood hearse of a similar design to the '75 ambulance.
The Designer Was Not Properly Credited
The Ecto-1 was designed by Stephen Dane who also designed the many iconic gadgets including the Ghostbusters' signature proton pack, the ghost trap, the P.K.E. meter, and more. So much of what makes Ghostbusters iconic is because of this designer.
Unfortunately, according to The Drive, Dan was given the wrong credit in the original Ghostbusters. Instead of Stephen, his name was spelled as Steven, and rather than being a designer or production designer, Dane was credited as a "Hardware Consultant."
It Almost Came In Black
The Ecto-1 is an iconic vehicle, almost as iconic as Batman's famous Batmobile. But what many fans may not know is that Ecto-1 was going to have a similar color scheme to the Batmobile. According to The Drive , Dan Aykroyd had described Ecto-1 as a darker, more sinister-looking vehicle.
Instead of the famous white with red accents, it was going to be all black with purple lights and accents. However, since so many scenes with Ecto-1 were shot at night, the final product was given the white and red color scheme that the car is so famous for.
Two Cars Were Used For Ecto-1
Though one vehicle was primarily used for most of the first Ghostbusters, there were actually two Cadillac Miller-Meteors used. The first was the black version used for the prototype phase of Ecto-1 in scenes where the Ghostbusters are rebuilding the vehicle or discussing what is wrong with it.
The second Meteor, according to The Drive, was used the most as the main Ecto-1 that is seen throughout Ghostbusters and the first act of Ghostbusters II. This same Meteor would return in a rugged state in 2021 as one of the best references to the original in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
That Was Real Smoke In Ghostbusters II
As reported by The Drive, the same Ecto-1 from the first film was brought over for the first act of Ghostbusters II. Apparently, the smoke rising from Ecto-1 when Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore are driving through New York City and attending a children's birthday was not a special effect.
Ecto-1 had not been properly maintained so it began to smoke and break down. It even broke down on the Brooklyn Bridge causing a traffic jam which the production of Ghostbusters II had to pay for. Fortunately, the aforementioned second Miller-Meteor was refurbished to become Ecto-1A in the sequel.
Ecto-1 Caused People To Crash
Ghostbusters features many great characters, and the Ecto-1 was considered as much of a character as the rest of the cast due to its popularity and eye-catching design - so any fan would naturally be over the moon to sit it out and about in person.
After the release of Ghostbusters, The Drive reports that Ecto-1 was seen driving through New York City with one of the Ghostbusters behind the wheel. As a result, multiple people were so awe-struck in traffic that it caused several accidents.
The Ladder Was Moved In Afterlife
Ecto-1 features a plethora of unexplained gadgets on top of the iconic car. One of the items seen in Ghostbusters is a ladder, likely to help the Ghostbusters access the roof. This ladder ended up being moved to the opposite side of the car when Ecto-1 made its great return in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Fortunately, it was a worthy sacrifice that allowed for the side door to open completely thus making way for the brand new gunner seat. The always iconic Egon Spengler upgraded the car in the best way, even featuring a ramp for an RC version of the ghost trap to use.
The First Shot Of Ecto-1 Is Doctored
The Ghostbusters finally get a job so they speed off into the night with an iconic first look at the new and improved Ecto-1. What many might not realize is that the shot of Ecto-1 making a fast peeling turn and driving off into the city is actually footage played at high-speed.
The Cadillac Miller-Meteor is a large and unwieldy vehicle so it wasn't capable of taking off at such a speed. As a result, the footage was sped up to make the Ecto-1 appear much faster than it WAS. This is something that would be improved upon in both sequels.