"Back to the Future" DeLorean at Petersen Automotive Museum

The DeLorean DMC-12 time machine, made famous by the 1985 blockbuster, Back to the Future went on public display at the Petersen Automotive Museum on April 22, 2016. The stainless steel time machine will be on permanent loan to the Petersen courtesy of Universal Studios Hollywood. This marks the first time the legendary movie car has been at the museum. The unveiling kicked off Back to the Future Month at the Petersen, featuring panel discussions, an "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance and a DeLorean cruise-in. 

“The Back to the Future films are part of Universal Studios’ legacy, and we take enormous pride in preserving its history,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “From the original movie sets on the Universal backlot to the DeLorean that has been on display for guests from around the world to enjoy, the films continue to resonate and we are incredibly pleased to share this iconic hero car with the Petersen Automotive Museum to enable future generations to go back to the future.”

“The fact that Universal Studios Hollywood would permanently loan the one and only Back to the Future DeLorean to the Petersen only cements our position in automotive and museum cultures,” said Petersen Chief Marketing Officer Adam Langsbard. “As evidenced by these types of commitments that major partners have placed with us, our rebirth has established us as a world-class museum experience and one of the preeminent automotive museums on the planet.”

On Wednesday, April 20, Museum members attended an exclusive unveiling of the DeLorean at 7 p.m. The unveiling was followed by a panel discussion featuring Back to the Future writer and co-creator Bob Gale and Universal Studios Hollywood Creative Director John Murdy, alongside the movie car builders and technicians who restored the DeLorean back to its on-screen condition. The DMC-12 was displayed on the first floor of the museum through the weekend of the unveiling, before it moved to the Cars of Film and Television exhibit in the Hollywood Gallery on the third floor.

The best 80s outfits were the dress code to go back in time when the Petersen re-created the famous "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance from Back to the Future. Guests rocked out to 80s New Wave icons Missing Persons, and Back to the Future tribute band, The Flux Capacitors.

DeLorean owners were invited to bring their cars to the Petersen for a DeLorean themed Breakfast Club Cruise-In. Car enthusiasts were invited to participate in the car show and contest on the third floor of the museum’s parking structure. Awards were given for Best-In-Show, People’s Choice and Petersen Perfection.

The official movie screening of Back to the Future will take place at the museum on Wednesday, June 8 in the Meyer Gallery. Car fans and movie buffs have been captivated by the original stainless steel time machine since 1985, when it first took Marty McFly on a journey through time. The obsession grew with the subsequent releases of Back to the Future II (1989) and Back to the Future III (1990). Following the last installment, the famed DeLorean was on display at Universal Studios Hollywood and restored in 2010.

Guests can continue to experience elements of the film aboard Universal Studios Hollywood’s renowned Studio Tour, where the famous Courthouse Square and clock tower are situated.