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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