You can win a DeLorean if Cubs win World Series
Even the most optimistic Cubs fan likely would have scoffed at the possibility of cashing in on a contest offering an $85,000 replica car from “Back to the Future Part II” if the team wins the 2015 World Series.
As it turns out, the Cubs are in Wednesday night's National League wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and entries are still being accepted in the Volo Auto Museum's contest, with the exhibition model of the 1989 movie's DeLorean as grand prize.
Museum director Brian Grams said he hit on the idea to give away the stainless steel DeLorean because the flick's star character, Marty McFly, traveled to the future — at that time Oct. 21, 2015 — to find the Cubs had just won the World Series by sweeping Miami. If the Cubs were to win this year's World Series, it wouldn't be against some Miami team nor on McFly's date, but that's irrelevant for contest purposes.
Grams said laughter was the typical reaction when he announced the promotion back in March.
“Now that they're in the playoffs, people are still skeptical, but they could win,” Grams said. “So, why not?
Skokie resident Frank Manata said he planned to enter the contest while visiting the museum last week. Winning the 1981 DeLorean — with gull-wing doors and a mock flux-capacitor that enabled the vehicle to travel through time in the movie — wouldn't have been realistic at the start of the baseball season.
“I mean, could you imagine if the Cubs won, because that's what they predicted in the movie,” Manata said. “I mean, how phenomenal. I wouldn't think there would be a chance. Man, that's great. That's really fun.”
Museum visitor Darryl Herr of Oswego said he likes having a chance at winning a prize linked to the Cubs capturing their first World Series title since 1908.
“My gut reaction is, it's going to be very remote the Cubs are going to win the World Series, but the possibility of that and to win the DeLorean, it is just a double benefit,” he said.
At least 1,200 contest entries have been received so far and entries will be accepted as long as the Cubs are in the playoffs, Grams said. Online entries have come from around the world and the number accelerated in the regular-season stretch drive, he said.
The museum will host a “Back to the Future Part II” event Saturday, Oct. 24. If the Cubs are done by then, Grams will announce the winner of the second prize — a hoverboard prop made by a fan and valued at $200. Volo Auto Museum has had the DeLorean on display since the late 1990s.