Here is a request from a Starcarcentral.com fan! Has anyone tried to reproduce, or know where the original car is today from “The Last Star Fighter”? In “The Last Starfighter” it was driven by Centauri played by Robert Preston best known for his performance in the “Music Man”.
Preston’s last film role featured him as sort of an intergalactic con man, with a tip of the hat to his famous role in “The Music Man.” He recruits a young kid who beats the high score on a video game that in reality is a training device for star fighter pilots. Robert Preston con’s the kid into his car, which was actually a space ship, and he takes him off to be a reluctant starfighter pilot.
I know that after it’s star turn in the film, like many Hollywood oddities are often shoved to the back of a transportation lot and left to slowly die, unless that sort of car is called for again in another movie. This did happen to the Starfighter car, in the famous Back to the Future Trilogy. Gene Winfield is credited with building this car, along with many other futuristic vehicles like in “Blade runner”.
In the film Back to the Future Part II it can be seen as a car parked on one of the streets in the 2015 future setting.
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Here’s a still of the blade runner car also in BTTF part 2
Gene has built lots of famous movie vehicles, including the “Wraith” the “Reactor” seen on Bewitched and even built a familiar mode of transport for captain Kirk!
Few people know that Gene Winfield designed and built the full-sized prop of the “Star Trek” Galileo Shuttlecraft while working at AMT in Phoenix, AZ.
The Star Car from “The Last Starfighter” is rumored to now be in France and painted red. So, if there is a replica out there, or info on it’s current whereabouts, let me know! write to me at info@starcarcentral.com
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Star Car Central - Famous Movie & TV car news! 
Are there any updates on this one?
Back in the late 80’s (1989 I think), I distinctly remember seeing the Star Car in a popular auto classified magazine called “Auto Trader”. The image they showed was a back shot similar to the one shown above. I don’t recall if the car was for sale in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area or if the magazine was a national edition it was printed in. But, I want to believe the car was in Dallas for sale. I remember they disclosed that the car was not street legal. I’m assuming because it doesn’t have all the acceptable safety precautions.
I remember that ad. I believe they were asking 13k for it.
I contacted a french broker who allegedly bought the starcar but he never answered any of my questions. that was back in 2012 or even earlier. would be cool to hear something more about it though. j
it very well could be about 10 miles se of paris in a little place called emerainville. i will be in france in september. maybe i’ll check it out and see.
Hi, Any joy in France?
Awesome! Great find! There is a body of this at Gene Winfield’s out in Mohave, but that looks like the real deal! Great Star Car Detective work, my friend!
Wow! I’m so glad to see that Centauri’s car still exists. It is one of my favorite movie cars, from a great movie. I’d love to see it cleaned up and lots of new photos posted.
ah yes, watched the 25th anniversary Blu Ray last night with my son after it was mentioned on an episode of the TV show “Community” … He thoroughly enjoyed it. Great movie, Great car!
Hi Bill, actually here in Los Angeles one of my StarCarCentral.com members is having Gene Winfield build him a road worthy replica! Stay tuned!
Excellent! Please post photos of the progress.
Thanks!
Years ago this was in the possession of nine other than Bob Butts (almost 40 years ago I’d say) among with Decker’s car, the drivable Spinner, and the FX Spinner all at his “museum” in El Cajon. There’s a really great full-scale 3D model of the StarCar online complete with rear panels that open to expose the rocket engines. A Time Machine owner near Lake Elsinore came to our shop one time to see it we could build the body for him – it would’ve been cut out of foam, then fiberglass molds made, and from that all the body panels. The overall cost for just that was going to be about $15k and I think that scared him off.
Did this car ever turn up it would be nice to know it’s been restored
Hi Chris,
No new info on the france car, but we have a builder making a replica from Gene Winfields mold to be street legal! Watch our facebook for it’s big reveal in 2022!