A fake speedometer was used in this make of car from a 1980s movie since the actual car’s speedometer didn’t go high enough

The Final Jeopardy clue for Wednesday, May 28, 2025, came from the category Cars & The Movies, asking contestants to identify a 1980s car that required a fake speedometer during filming because its real one didn’t go high enough.

What is DeLorean?

The answer nods to the famous time-traveling car from Back to the Future, a vehicle that became legendary on screen but had very real limitations off it.

In the 1985 film, the DeLorean needed to hit eighty-eight miles per hour to activate the flux capacitor and travel through time. However, due to federal regulations at the time, most cars—DeLorean included—had speedometers that capped at eighty-five. To overcome this, the filmmakers created a custom gauge that went up to ninety-five miles per hour so audiences could see the needle convincingly push past the required speed.

The Unlikely Rise of a Doomed Car Brand

At the time Back to the Future was being made, the DeLorean Motor Company was already defunct. Founded by former General Motors executive John Z. DeLorean, the company had built only one car—the DMC-12—before collapsing amid financial scandal and controversy. In a case that attracted widespread media attention, DeLorean was arrested for drug trafficking in a desperate attempt to fund his company’s survival, though he was later acquitted on grounds of entrapment.

Despite its commercial failure, the DeLorean’s futuristic stainless-steel body and gullwing doors made it an obvious choice for a sci-fi film. Co-writer Bob Gale has said the car’s unique design gave it a sense of rebellion and mystery that suited the character of Doc Brown. It didn’t matter that the car was slow or underpowered—what mattered was its cinematic presence.

Built for the Screen, Not the Street

To bring the DeLorean time machine to life, the Back to the Future team enlisted a group of veteran Hollywood designers who had worked on other major sci-fi films like Star Wars and Blade Runner. They turned the standard 1981 DMC-12 into a mechanical Frankenstein’s monster, bolting on pieces from other cars, aircraft, and random machinery to create the illusion of a home-built time machine.

Three separate DeLoreans were used in filming: the A-car for close-ups, the B-car for stunt scenes, and the C-car for interior shots. The latter was heavily modified, including being cut in half to accommodate the camera equipment needed to shoot tight in-car scenes. All three had variations of the fake speedometer installed to ensure the audience could see the critical moment when the car passed eighty-eight miles per hour.

Performance That Didn’t Match the Hype

While the DeLorean looked the part, its performance told a different story. Powered by a modest 2.8-liter V6 engine producing just 130 horsepower, the car took over nine seconds to reach sixty miles per hour. During filming, stunt drivers reportedly struggled to get it up to speed for chase scenes. The actual sound of the DeLorean’s engine also lacked the dramatic tone needed for a time machine, so post-production added sound effects to amplify the experience.

Ford reportedly offered Universal Studios seventy-five thousand dollars to use a Mustang as the time machine, but Gale shut the idea down immediately, saying, “Doc Brown doesn’t drive a fucking Mustang.” That blunt rejection ensured the DeLorean would be forever tied to Back to the Future, becoming a permanent fixture of pop culture.

A Movie Car That Outlived Its Maker

Today, only one of the original DeLorean time machines remains: the A-car, which was restored and now resides at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The B-car was destroyed during filming of Back to the Future Part III, and the C-car was dismantled, its parts used to build replicas. Fans can still buy their own DeLorean DMC-12, and replica time machines have become a niche collector’s market, often selling for upwards of one hundred thirty thousand dollars.

The Final Jeopardy clue paid homage to more than just a speedometer trick. It captured a fascinating collision between failed automotive history and blockbuster movie magic. Even decades later, the DeLorean remains a symbol of cinematic imagination, proving that sometimes, the most iconic moments come from a bit of ingenuity—and a little Hollywood illusion.