Man Owns Real Life Back To The Future DeLorean
WHILE millions of film fans dream of owning Bond’s Aston Martin or Bruce Wayne’s Batmobile, Ollie Wilkey has turned his movie car fantasy into a reality. The self-employed inventory clerk, 25, from Keynsham in Somerset, is the proud owner of a DeLorean Time Machine – the iconic vehicle made famous in the Back to the Future series. The car was built in Florida by an ex-NASA engineer and Universal Studios constructor, and later bought by his friend Luke, from Leeds, UK, who sold it to Ollie in February 2014 for a five-figure sum. Although sadly not capable of traveling back to 1955, the “screen accurate” DeLorean features everything from a flux capacitor to a Mr Fusion Home Energy Reactor. And when the souped-up vehicle reaches 88mph, it activates a special time travel sequence, including lights and sound effects. Ollie runs a business renting the car out, but still finds time to take the DeLorean for a spin - and the car never fails to attract hordes of appreciative onlookers.
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MotorTranscript
00:00 00:33 COMM: A time machine in a traffic jam, not
00:19 something you see every day, unless you live near Ollie Wilkie.
00:23 But while this car might not actually be able to travel through time, its owner believes
00:27 his pride and joy is the most screen accurate back to the future DeLorean in Britain.
00:32 A lifelong fan of the films, Ollie knew from a young age that he wanted a car just like
00:38 Marty McFly's.
00:39 01:10 OLLIE WILKIE I saw it when I was about ten and I thought
00:41 I bet when I learn to drive I can get a DeLorean.
00:45 There's about 6500 left, if you can get a good running one they're a good investment.
00:49 01:21 COMM: At age 26 he was able to buy and renovate
00:53 an original DeLorean, which he still owns.
00:55 01:28 OLLIE WILKIE The first DeLorean I bought in pieces as
00:58 a restoration, I was able to pay for the parts over the two years that we did it up.
01:03 It was a long process and it was essentially my savings fund.
01:06 01:37 COMM: But then a couple of years later his
01:08 time travel dreams came true, when he had the chance to buy this sci-fi work of art.
01:14 01:44 OLLIE WILKIE I bought the car through the DeLorean
01:17 owners club.
01:18 I met a guy on there who bought this car and imported it from America.
01:22 The real life Doc Brown as it were is an ex-NASA electrical engineer based in Florida.
01:28 He now converts DeLoreans into back to the future replica time machines.
01:32 02.05 COMM: The attention to detail is every fan's
01:34 dream, including iconic props like the flux capacitor and Mr Fusion.
01:40 02.14 OLLIE WILKIE My favourite part of the car is the time
01:44 circuits where you can input your destination time.
01:48 When you hit 88 miles an hour it will activate time travel mode.
01:52 It will look and act as if it had made a jump through time.
01:56 02.27 OLLIE WILKIE The most iconic parts of the car is its gold
02:01 wing doors.
02:02 When you open the doors it makes futuristic opening noises as it does in the film.
02:07 02.39 COMM: To complete the experience Ollie has
02:10 managed to acquire a host of replica props from the film.
02:13 02.44 OLLIE WILKIE People do love the Nike shoes and they love
02:16 the hoverboard.
02:17 People get just as excited about the hoverboard as they do about the whole car.
02:20 02.50 COMM: While the car isn't exactly practical
02:22 for going down the shops, it does attract plenty of attention.
02:25 02.54 OLLIE WILKIE I've had people right up behind me taking
02:28 a video.
02:29 You almost get a bit worried because it's not so much you're driving but someone going
02:33 to the back of you.
02:34 Luckily I've never been pulled over in it.
02:35 Whenever I do see police they usually just give you a thumbs up and a smile.
02:39 02.59 COMM: Entrepreneur Ollie has even managed
02:41 to turn his boyhood dream into a business, hiring out the car for weddings and other
02:46 events.
02:47 But what does his girlfriend Anna think?
02:49 03.00 ANNA WILKIE First I was a bit like, yes, okay, it's
02:51 another DeLorean.
02:52 And then I got inside it and then I got really excited as well and I did a bit like a little
02:55 kid pressing all the buttons and it does this, it does that.
02:58 I've always liked the films but I didn't necessarily call myself a fan as in I'd want
03:02 to get one.
03:03 I'd rather get a Volkswagen camper van so I'd happily get the one that the Libyans come
03:08 in.
03:09 That would be the next thing that I would like that, thank you very much, instead of
03:13 having two DeLoreans.
03:14 04.00 COMM: What does the future hold for Ollie and
03:17 his DeLoreans?
03:18 Only time will tell.
03:19 05.00 END OF TRANSCRIPT
03:20 Transcription by Trans-Expert at Fiverr.com
03:20 (upbeat music)
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