ORLANDO, Fla. — Very few cars portrayed in films have had a bigger impact that the DeLorean. 

The DeLorean made its public debut in 1981, with close to 9,000 of the futuristic cars produced.

General Manager of DMC Florida Robert Gadocha said the car captured the public’s attention from the start, but the movie franchise took it to another level.

“Well, the love for it stems from the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy. Everyone that sees the car loves the car,” said Gadocha.

The Orlando facility is one of three locations in the country that still deals, sells and maintains the one-of-a-kind vehicles.

The company has more than 40 classic DeLoreans on hand, all of which are in pristine condition.

“We get people in the shop that bring their children, 5 to 10 years old, dressed like Marty. They love the car and everything about it,” said Gadocha.

Guests can request a tour of the shop to see — depending on the day — how the famous stainless-steel exterior is polished, engines being worked on, and visit a showroom that includes a completed time machine, like the one featured in the Back to the Future movies.

“Yes, we welcome guests here. We give them a quick tour and show them what we do inside and out,” said DMC owner Tony Ierardi.

They also provide historical videos so guests can learn about the car’s unique history, beyond the films, including the car’s famous inventor John DeLorean.

James O’Brien visited DMC one day and decided to purchase a DeLorean and convert it into a time machine.

“When I was 6, and I first saw the film, for me, that was the car. So, I ended up building a time machine from scratch,” said O’Brien.

He said he had no idea when he started building the time machine, but he watched videos, consulted with DMC and sought advice from the DeLorean Club of Florida, an organization that has more than 200 DeLorean loving owners around the state.

DeLorean Club members meet several times a year with usually a stop in Orlando.

The British-born time machine owner said the biggest problem he has when driving the vehicle around Central Florida is people forcing him off the road to stop and take pictures.

“There’s about 5,000 DeLoreans left in the world. So, when people see them, they love the car. They love the movie franchise, and people want to take videos and pictures,” O’Brien said.

He now plans to rent out his classic time machine equipped with every working gadget, including a flux capacitor for time travel.

Reservations are required to tour the DeLorean Motor Company in Orlando. The tour is free, and you can call 1-407-203-2300 to reserve a time.