Superheroes, kids' fun makes Delaware Auto Show family friendly
When Jon Miller was 5, he was obsessed with "Back to the Future" when it came out, especially drawn by its bad-ass DeLorean time machine.
But when he bought a DeLorean to restore a couple of years ago, he had no intention of fulfilling his boyhood dream of having his own time machine like the one that hurled Doc and Marty McFly through more than 130 years of history.
A funny thing happened after he was done with the restoration: his son Evan, now 7, had a request.
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As a "Back to the Future " fan himself, he wanted the real deal and the pair worked about 1,000 hours to create a replica DeLorean time machine that's so realistic that it could possibly fool Marty himself.
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"I swore that I would never do it, but he wouldn't shut up about it," Miller says. "But as he was talking, I realized he really wanted to build it. On Christmas, I surprised him and told him we're going to do it and we were going to do it right. It had to be exact."
Their creation will surely make a splash at the 10th annual Delaware Auto Show, The News Journal-sponsored event that runs Friday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront (815 Justison St., Wilmington).
Advance tickets are $8 at delawareautoshow.com and it costs $10 at the door. Children 12 and under are free.
While the car show has about 25 different automakers on-site with all the newest makes and models for parents to poke around in, the event is stuffed with children's activities to keep them busy and happy as well.
The DeLorean will be there for Friday night's opening charity gala before the iconic ride hits the floor all day Saturday and Sunday. (All thee days of the Delaware Auto Show run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
In addition, the Delaware Ghostbusters with their own replica of Ecto-1 will be there all day Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday. the show gets a boost from visiting superheroes like Iron Man (12 p.m.-1:45 p.m.) and Captain America (2 p.m.-4 p.m.), along with Philadelphia 76ers cheerleaders Nicolette and Newark's own Brianna (12 p.m.-3 p.m.).
For the show's final day, Jungle John brings his Jurassic Journey dinosaur show (12 p.m.-1 p.m.), balloon artists will be making car balloons for children (1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.) and both Miss Delaware Amanda Debus and former Philadelphia Flyer Bob "Hound" Kelly (2 p.m.-4 p.m.) will meet their fans.
Miller's DeLorean is not only a testament to the 1,000 work hours that doubled as irreplaceable father/son bonding time, but it lives on in service of a good cause.
Miller is the founder and president of The Network of Tyrosinemia Advocates, a support group that helps raise awareness the rare genetic disorder tyrosinemia type 1, which Evan was born with. Miller now offers his car to be used at charity events, weddings and, yes, auto shows, all while spreading the word about tyrosinemia type 1.
And the car is the real deal. It's all there and fully interactive.
The time circuits are fully functional and any time or date can be programmed. The speedometer on the dashboard is hooked up to GPS so if the car goes 88 miles per hour, everything happens just like the movie, complete with the sound effects. And stick your head inside and you'll find active plutonium gauges and a spot-on flux capacitor.
If "Back to the Future" fans look closely enough, they will find Christopher Lloyd's autograph on Miller's DeLorean.
Doc himself gave the car a thumbs up when Miller traveled to Reston, Virginia, last fall to help shuttle celebrities to the "Back to the Future Day" celebration, which was attended by the film's stars.
And that was before he added the time machine element.
About a week ago, the Millers met Lloyd yet again when he appeared at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania, for a "Back to the Future"-themed night of storytelling.
And while they tried to get Doc out to the street, Lloyd never did see the finished product. But he heard all about it.
"His management would not let him come outside the theater," says Miller, owner of the Jersey Shore-based Jon Miller Car Center. "But I talked to him about it and he was excited. I told him how it inspired Evan and taught him work ethic and he was really impressed."
Maybe the next time they see him, he'll be able to check out the car and give them a big, "Great Scott!"
Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).
IF YOU GO
What: 10th annual Delaware Auto Show
When: Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Chase Center on the Riverfront, 815 Justison St., Wilmington
Cost: $10 (Children 12 and under are free)
Information: delawareautoshow.com
DELAWARE AUTO SHOW ENTERTAINMENT
Friday: Delaware Ghostbusters (all day), "Back to the Future" replica time machine DeLorean (all day)
Saturday: Iron Man (12 p.m.-1:45 p.m.), Philadelphia 76ers cheerleaders Briana & Nicolette (2 p.m.-3 p.m.) Captain America (2 p.m.-4 p.m.), Delaware Ghostbusters (all day), "Back to the Future" replica time machine DeLorean (all day)
Sunday: Jungle John’s Jurassic Journey dinosaur show (12 p.m.-1 p.m.), Jungle John and fellow balloon artists make car balloons for children (1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.), Miss Delaware Amanda Debus and former Philadelphia Flyer Bob "Hound" Kelly (2 p.m.-4 p.m.), "Back to the Future" replica time machine DeLorean (all day)
VIRTUAL REALITY
The News Journal will debut a new Virtual Reality Lounge all weekend. It will feature immersive virtual reality videos that visitors can watch using cutting-edge virtual reality goggles.