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Three Replicas of Famous 80s Movie Cars to Be Auctioned Off

The three replicas of famous movie cars
Photo: Skipco Auction
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Daniel Rufiange
Ever dreamed of owning a Batmobile? A Ghostbusters hearse? A DeLorean headed back to the future?

They say crime doesn't pay. That’s always true, in the end - as long as the person committing the crime gets caught. However, sometimes crime can pay off for a third party.

A good example of one person’s misfortune being another’s fortune: three replicas of famous movie cars ended up in the possession of U.S. Marshals after they were seized as part of a fraud investigation.

According to the Department of Justice, a man by the name of Ryan Sheridan billed the U.S. government millions for services provided by his drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation centre. Unfortunately, many of those services "were never provided, were not medically necessary, lacked proper documentation, or had other problems that made them ineligible for reimbursement."

As part of his guilty plea, Sheridan was required to pay back about $25 million. To that end, the government seized some of the man’s property and will put it up for sale. And it so happens that among that property are three replicas of some pretty well-known movie cars.

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The first one is a Batmobile based on the 1989 Tim Burton film. Details are actually sketchy about the model, but it's based on a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and is equipped with a 5.7L V8 that sends power to the rear wheels.

The replica of Tim Burton's Batmobile, three-quarters front
The replica of Tim Burton's Batmobile, three-quarters front
Photo: Skipco Auctions
The replica of Tim Burton' Batmobile, three-quarters rear
The replica of Tim Burton' Batmobile, three-quarters rear
Photo: Skipco Auctions

The second is the famous 1959 Cadillac hearse used by the valiant Ghostbusters, better known as the Ecto-1. Here's an interesting replica with all the details in place in a car that quickly became a movie icon on release of the Bill Murray comedy in the early 1980s. The modifications for this replica were carried out by Barris Kustoms.

The replica of the Ghostbusters hearse, a 1959 Cadillac, three-quarters front
The replica of the Ghostbusters hearse, a 1959 Cadillac, three-quarters front
Photo: Skipco Auctions
The replica of the Ghostbusters hearse, a 1959 Cadillac, three-quarters rear
The replica of the Ghostbusters hearse, a 1959 Cadillac, three-quarters rear
Photo: Skipco Auctions

Finally, the best of the trilogy for many: a 1981 DeLorean decked out to look just like the car rigged out for time travel in the Back to the Future movie trilogy. The cabin is even equipped with the flux capacitor and the panel that allows us to choose the day and year we want to travel back in time.

The replica of Doc's DeLorean, three-quarters front
The replica of Doc's DeLorean, three-quarters front
Photo: Skipco Auctions
The replica of Doc's DeLorean, three-quarters rear
The replica of Doc's DeLorean, three-quarters rear
Photo: Skipco Auctions
The replica of Doc's DeLorean, interior
The replica of Doc's DeLorean, interior
Photo: Skipco Auctions

The three cars will be offered by the Skipco Auto Auction Group on August 1st. Note to those interested in having one of these sitting in their garage: You can participate in the auction via online streaming and place bids online.

The replica of Tim Burton'S Batmobile, rear
The replica of Tim Burton'S Batmobile, rear
Photo: Skipco Auctions
Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists