This Wild Car Scavenger Hunt Could Be Somebody's Lucky Day
Art collective MSCHF sold consumers (and art collectors) thousands of copies of a hey that allows the owner to drive a car hidden somewhere in the United States. Every single key sold by MSCHF will unlock the same vehicle and allow the key holder to drive the car as they wish. Although car companies selling strange, unrelated products is nothing new, the one that's selling this peculiar universal key fob hasn't been a traditional part of the automotive industry until now.
MSCHF has quite a history of coming up with a bevy of strange and controversial items for sale, each as its own unique art project. This is the first time they've sold thousands of keys that open and activate a single vehicle.
In the past, MSCHF has sold items like a collection of custom 1997 Nike Air Max sneakers dubbed the "Satan Shoes," which allegedly came with a drop of human blood. The art collective also sold holy water-infused "Jesus Shoe," as well as a bath bomb shaped like a toaster — the whole lot can be viewed on the official MSCHF art list website. Its latest Key4All key fob is just as bizarre yet intriguing as its other products, but this time around, it comes with a reward with a bit more heft, literally.
One car to rule them all
While the rules of the game are quite simple, actually getting to the reward won't be that easy. According to the Key4All official website, key fob owners will be competing against thousands who will be looking to find and unlock the car for themselves. So, how does one even find this mystery car in the first place? It all starts with the key fob's central button, which lights up when pressed. The light will change in color the closer players get to the car. Blue means the car is far away, red indicates it's getting closer, and green means it's finally within reach. It might sound like an impossible need-in-the-haystack scenario, but at least calling the number on the Key4All website leads to hints on the car's whereabouts.
Of course, there are a couple of conditions players must adhere to. For starters, they should have a driver's license that's never been revoked, valid car insurance, and don't have a history of reckless driving or DUIs. MSCHF stressed that the company still has legal ownership over the vehicle. Players shouldn't get any funny ideas making a quick buck out of the car as they're not allowed to operate it outside the United States nor sell its parts or modify it in any way. Bringing alcohol, illegal substances, and firearms aren't allowed either.
What's the Key4All Car?
The Key4All website insists that the car will remain a secret to anyone but the key fob owners, Fortunately, one of the owners unraveled this mystery via a TikTok post revealing the product's contents. The Key4All car is actually a PT Cruiser — a discontinued Chrysler SUV with a unique aesthetic flare. While the looks of a PT Cruiser are distinctly unmistakable, its failure to evolve over the years made the range lag behind the competition. The bigger problem is that PT cruisers from certain years tend to be notoriously unreliable, with average repair costs ranging from $1,800 to up to $4,000.
It's something players should keep in mind since MSCHF won't be shouldering the car's maintenance costs, and the rules state it cannot be driven once it's no longer considered road-worthy. It's unclear what year model the universal Key4All PT Cruiser's from, but one thing's for sure, it still has ample room to take a group of friends on a long road trip.
Sharing is caring
Some might be wondering, what's the point of buying keys to a universal car that you won't ever get to own? According to MSCHF: that's the point. It's a social experiment, exercise in sharing, and bold statement all rolled into one outrageous product. MSCHF claims it's "engineered to be Grand Theft Auto Tragedy Of The Commons." The Key4All car itself is described as "the uncleaned roadside motel of cars."
It's also meant to "symbolize and embody American independence," as a sort of people's car that's "transient and un-ownable." So, is it worth driving a car knowing well that someone might legally snatch it right after you park it? Well, thousands seem to think so, as the website shows it's already sold out.
That shouldn't be so surprising though, especially since the Key4All price only cost $19 each. Instead of spending $20 on a device that can break into a Tesla, you can spend the same amount to drive around in a decent SUV, and without breaking both the law and the bank at the same time.
As of October 3, 2022, the vehicle is still out in the wild, but it would seem that MSCHF isn't entirely sure where. The project launched with a phone hotline that'd give key holders info about the vehicle's location, but that hotline is currently down.