'Back to the Future' Replica DeLorean Open for Business
When Oliver Holler and his wife Terry bought their 1982 DeLorean more than a decade ago, they say they simply wanted to pay homage to their favorite movie of all time, "Back to the Future." Flash forward to 2012, and the Hollers have traveled across the country in their replica 'time machine,' created a business out of their beloved car and even raised more than $100,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation .
Through their business, DeLoreanTimeMachine.com, the Hollers rent out their car to theme parties, corporate events and fellow "Back to the Future" buffs. The profits they make from their rentals, which range depending on where the event is and how long, allow the couple to drive around the country raising money for parkinson's research, Oliver said.
After fitting the DeLorean with a custom time machine, as seen in the iconic movie, the Hollers were at a loss as to what to do with their new toy. Fundraising for the Michael J. Fox Foundation seemed to be a natural fit, Oliver said.
"We have since reached 48 states, and hope to finish up our final two states -Hawaii and Alaska-by next year," he said.
The couple drives the car to every rental and fundraising venue themselves, Oliver said. Today the car has more than 300,000 miles on it. Their journey has taken them to as far as Argentina, where they went across the country fundraising for four months and even meeting Christopher Lloyd himself.
"Whats the fun in having a time machine if you have someone else haul it on a trailer?" he said.
The Hollers, who are from Myrtle Beach, S.C., both have theater backgrounds, and work on their passion project, the DeLorean, on weekends. While the business portion of DeLoreanTimeMachine.com hasn't made them rich, it has allowed them to see the world and pursue their dreams, Oliver said.
"We just fell into different ways to use it," he said. "If someone was looking to make a lot of money, I'd direct them to something else, maybe a career in finance. The car has paid for itself over time, but you can't put a price on the enjoyment we have had using it."