Makes › Cadillac › Miller-Meteor Futura Duplex ambulance "Ecto-1" (Ghostbusters film car) · Historically significant · Film & TV · 1959
Cadillac
Miller-Meteor Futura Duplex ambulance "Ecto-1" (Ghostbusters film car)
The original hero Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters (1984), a 1959 Cadillac professional-chassis ambulance bodied by Miller-Meteor, kept by Sony Pictures.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1959
- Engine
- Front-mounted V8 (base Cadillac figures) · 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Stephen Dane (film conversion and gadgets); body by Miller-Meteor
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Ecto-1 is one of the best-known film cars ever made: a 1959 Cadillac ambulance turned into the Ghostbusters' rooftop-equipped response vehicle. It shows how a rare American professional car, built on Cadillac's commercial chassis and finished by a specialist body builder, became a screen icon. The original hero car survives in studio hands.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionthe original Ghostbusters (1984) hero car survives, owned by Sony Pictures and displayed on its studio lot | 12 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionhero car for Ghostbusters (1984); the source also mentions a second Duplex used only for early pre-modification scenes | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Cadillac supplied the engine and running gear on its Series 75 commercial chassis, and Miller-Meteor finished the body and interior as an ambulance. For Ghostbusters (1984) one Duplex served as the hero car, fitted with the gadgets designed by Stephen Dane; a second car appeared only in early scenes before the conversion.
The original car was used again at the start of Ghostbusters II (1989) but kept breaking down and failed during a scene on the Brooklyn Bridge; a separate car, Ecto-1A, took over. Sony restored the original Ecto-1 in 2007, while a planned restoration of Ecto-1A did not happen at the time. The original now stands on the Sony Pictures Studios lot as part of the studio tour.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Miller-Meteor Futura Duplex ambulance "Ecto-1" (Ghostbusters film car).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted V8 (base Cadillac figures)2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedBase Cadillac figure; source gives power only as a range (about 325–345 hp). |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
What Car Was The Ghostbusters' Original Ecto-1, And Where Is It Today? Level C
- 1 hero car for Ghostbusters (1984); the source also mentions a second Duplex used only for early pre-modification scenes
-
2
What Car Was The Ghostbusters' Original Ecto-1, And Where Is It Today? Level C SlashGear
- sitting at Sony Pictures Studio ... part of a tour of the lot
- a V8 with 390 cubic inches
- V8 with 390 cubic inches
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