Man converting Reliant Robins into ‘time-travelling car’ from Back To The Future

A man claiming to be the son of iconic automobile manufacturer John DeLorean is converting Reliant Robins into Doc Brown’s famous time-travelling sports car from Back To The Future.

However, Ty DeLorean, from Cornwall, claims that DeLorean Motor Company’s lawyers have threatened him with legal action over trademark infringement.

After debuting a vehicle at the British Motor Show last month, the 40-year-old says he is fully prepared to fight the Texas-based company in court and believes that he will win.

His DMC 21 car features remote controlled doors that open upwards, a makeshift flux capacitor and DeLorean badges, reports Cornwall Live.

He said: “This has been a two-year project – there were four different types of hinges before we perfected the doors. We got there in the end and have a fantastic project which people love.

“We believe that if this car had been released as planned in 1981 it would have potentially saved the DeLorean factory, so it needed to be built. We believe it would have sold millions then and they still will sell millions today.”

He jokingly added: “It will do 100mph so 88 isn’t an issue, but where we’re going we don’t need four wheels.”

Ty’s website states that the cars are now available to pre-order for $25,000 (£18,200) with a percentage of sales donated to the Michael J Fox Parkinson Foundation, set up by the Back To The Future actor after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The cars were a hit at last month’s show, and Ty was invited to take more vehicles to next year’s event, but the day wasn’t a complete success.

He continued: “While I was at the show I was hand-served papers by the DeLorean Motor Company from Texas stating that they were pursuing me in court for trademark infringement.

“Due to the success of the movies, the trademark is worth billions of dollars.

“Despite that, I took the car out around the track with the badges on – I thought, ‘I’ll see you in court’.”

The letter stated: “Whilst our client notes your claim to be the son of John DeLorean, being the son of John DeLorean does not give you the right to use our client’s UK registered trademarks without its permission, or to pass your business off as being in some way connected to or endorsed by our client’s business.

“Our client cannot and will not sit by and allow any third party to infringe its intellectual property rights, and if this dispute is not resolved by the signing of undertakings as requested by the end of Friday 27 August 2021 we expect to receive our client’s instructions to issue proceedings, which may include seeking urgent relief from the court.”

Ty has long insisted he is the son of the automobile mogul who lost his company after being charged with conspiracy to obtain and distribute $24 million (£17.5 million) worth of cocaine. He was later acquitted but his fall from grace was spectacular before dying aged 80 in 2005.

Ty claimed that DeLorean met his mother in Northern Ireland where he was conceived, and that ‘Ty DeLorean’ is his legal name which appears on his passport.

“I’ve been offered a DNA test by the Back To The Future crew but that’s down the line after the court case. There is nothing to do with me being his son in the case, but I aim to prove I am during that case or at a later date,” he explained.

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