Classic Cars

Anybody see a Ghost?

With it being Halloween in a few days time I thought I’d delve into my archives from around this time last year, when I was fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of a 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor Ambulance conversion, or as its more commonly known, Ecto 1.

Now, firstly a bit of background. As a child, I was obsessed by Ghostbusters. I first saw the film at a friend’s Birthday party when I must have been three or four years old and I can still vividly recall that first viewing. From then on I had all the toys and craved every piece of merchandise they could produce. I watched the cartoon religiously, and in the days before video downloads or DVDs, convinced my brother to help me record the cartoon on VHS so I could get some Ghost-busting action whenever I needed it.

My love of Ghostbusters stayed with me, but the closest I’d gotten to driving Ecto 1 was when I dressed up my old Clubman Estate to look the car for the London to Brighton Mini Run. It got my car in Mini Magazine, but it was a little way short of the full Cadillac experience.

All that changed, however in September last year, when I finally slipped behind the wheel of Ecto 1.

The Ectomobile in question belongs to Bristol-based company Cheers Drive, who maintain a fleet of iconic screen cars for weddings and other such events. Arriving at their premises, a big, beaming grin spread itself across my face as I was met with the lights, chrome and fins made so famous by the movie I adored (and still adore) as a child. It seemed even bigger than I expected, it’s size exaggerated by the mid ’90s Mini Cooper parked next to it.

A genuine case of little and large.

The car itself was a genuine site to behold, standing next to it felt almost unreal, and definitely supernatural.

The car features both working lights and siren, and can even play the Ghostbusters theme, so if, by any chance you don’t see Ecto 1 coming, you’ll certainly hear it. Not that anybody missed us, with drivers stopping to take pictures, point or wave during our time out in the car.

Inside the Cadillac there’s a big bench seat up front, so room for three Ghostbusters, leaving Venkman to get cosy in the back with Miss Barrett, while the boot has enough space for at least four Proton packs, as well as a selection of traps, P.K.E. meters and other Ghostbusting paraphernalia.

Driving Ecto 1 is closer to sailing a yacht than driving a car, on crossply tyres it fidgets on the road and with its high sides can be quite challenging in strong winds, I am told. Actually driving the car takes surprisingly little effort, it’s a leggy, lazy V8 gradually gathers pace, rather than simply accelerating away.

Hey! Let's run some red lights!

That’s not surprising, given the amount of weight that its got to shift. It’s all about torque and sheer grunt rather than pure power. That said, it’s got some fairly modern touches, with ‘Power brakes’ as the Americans call them, so it stops fairly well, its also got Power steering, so once you’re accustomed to its overall dimensions, handling it isn’t too hard.

Thing is nobody’s going to drive this car for the experience behind the wheel, they want to been seen in it and with it.

It’s something I can identify with, my all too brief time with Ecto 1 is an experience I’ll never forget…