“Wait a minute, Doc. Are you telling me that you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?”
It was 40 years ago today, July 3, 2025, that Marty McFly, Michael J. Fox’s character in the “Back to the Future” film franchise, first discovered on the big screen that Dr. Emmet Brown, Christopher Lloyd in a wild-haired scientist role, had invented a time traveling machine.
The movie proved to be a box office sensation, bringing in more than $380 million, making it the highest grossing film of the year, and earning three Oscar nominations for best original screenplay, best sound, and best original song.
“Back to the Future’s” success has only grown, transcending generations and attracting film lovers of all ages. Some have put it on the top of the list of the most popular movies ever made.
Seemingly, everyone can find something to relate to in a plot that sees the teenage main character travel from 1985 to 1955 using the most iconic time-traveling machine in cinematic history to interact with his teenage parents in high school.
A mainstay of the franchise, the DeLorean was not the first choice for the time machine.
Original drafts used a modified vintage 1950s-style refrigerator, but concerns that children might get stuck and harmed trying to recreate the movie scenes led writer and director Robert Zemeckis to opt for a car instead.
Zemeckis—with help on the screenplay from producer Bob Gale, and Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer—had to put up with his script being rejected 44 times by Hollywood studios before it was picked up by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.
The coming-of-age tale weaves science fiction with period sets and comedic relief that still leaves audiences impressed, based on a recent gathering of fans in a suburb west of Chicago.
On a picture perfect July day with sunny, blue skies and a light breeze, Gary Franchi, the founder of the Next News Network, took The Epoch Times for a ride in his family’s custom built DeLorean “time machine,” with the vehicle’s gull-wing doors open for most of the ride, giving spectators a once-in-a-lifetime view.
The reaction from passersby was immediate and constant, smiles and waves coming from every direction, cars and trucks honking along the way.
At every opportunity, windows were lowered to ask questions about the car, and pedestrians shouted inquiries and support.
Construction crews roared their approval, passengers in vehicles took videos and pictures the entire ride through the quaint towns that surround the Windy City.
Franchi’s wife, Angie, and three sons, 8-year-old Theodore, 10-year-old Angelo, and 13-year-old Gary III, said the “time machine” always attracts attention.
“This is definitely the magnet for young and old,” Angie said. “It’s the coolest thing to see a father walk up with his kids, and the kids are equally interested and acknowledging where the car came from, because they’ve either seen the movie or dad and mom have shown them or talked to them about the movie. It’s just totally wild love for the car.”
The decision to build the “time machine” came about during the depths of the pandemic, Franchi said, when he noticed that his community needed a boost of positivity.
“I was like, let’s do something different. Let’s have another kind of focus for our family, and let’s make people smile again,” he said.
His wife said the reactions are heartwarming.
“I’ve had so many stories where people have told me how it connected them, or made their day, or brought their families together,” Angie said. “It’s such, it’s such a tool to bring joy and happiness.”
After pulling into a shady parking spot near a handmade ice cream shop, the foot traffic in the small town of Geneva, Illinois, all started flowing in the same direction toward the DeLorean.
Dozens of people flocked to the car, many talking about their favorite scenes from the movie.
“This just really lifted my spirits,” Beth Abbataco, of Geneva, Illinois, told The Epoch Times. “It’s just good nostalgia and memories.”
“This is so cool to see it in person,” Sasha Meiners, 17, of Geneva, told The Epoch Times.
She said the movie transcends generations because it has so many elements that various age groups can relate to.
“I’ve always liked seeing it because the time that he travels back to is stuff that my grandparents would always talk about, so like, their school dances, seeing that kind of stuff, and having them actually testify to what was going on,” Meiners said.
“The nostalgia for them, and then me seeing it and kind of just getting to hear about it is really fun.”
An endless flow of curious onlookers stopped for pictures and to ask about specifics, checking out the autographed visor, props from the film, and other intricate details.
Sometimes, the attention can become precarious, especially when on the road.
“It’s actually kind of dangerous because people are driving really close trying to take pictures,” Angelo told The Epoch Times.
To keep the vehicle under wraps for long distances and haul the DeLorean around, the Franchi family built a truck that matches the one used by Dr. Brown.
It is fully equipped with sound and smoke machines, so the “time machine” can be lowered out of the back, just like in the movie.
After three films and 40 years, the “Back to the Future” franchise is now ingrained in the nation’s culture.
Of the many oft-repeated lines from the films, spectators viewing the time machine chose one favorite that stood out, saying it encapsulates the American spirit: “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”
