Spot the DeLorean time machine in Southampton

If you have spent the last couple of years hearing about the DeLorean time machine popping up across Hampshire, there is finally a reason to pay attention. A display of famous cars, with the Back to the Future DeLorean and Knight Rider's KITT as the headliners, has landed in Southampton and is set to stay for a week, so there is no need to rush in on the first day.

The confirmation comes from a visit posted on 24 July, describing an afternoon spent with the cars on display. It is a simple, family-friendly curiosity rather than a ticketed event, which makes it easy to drop into whenever you happen to be passing through the city centre. The DeLorean itself is the stainless-steel sports car from the 1980s that everyone recognises from the Back to the Future trilogy, and it is joined by KITT, the talking car from Knight Rider, so it is a double bill for anyone who grew up on 1980s television and film.

Behind the scenes, the cars come from Sandstone Productions, a movie and TV film car hire company based in Winchester. They specialise in authentic and screen-accurate vehicles for events, promotions, exhibitions, weddings and productions across the UK, and their fleet goes well beyond the DeLorean. Alongside the time machine and KITT, they carry the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 C, a Star Wars Speeder Bike complete with a Scout Trooper, and even a Sinclair C5, the electric three-wheeler Sir Clive Sinclair launched at the Alexandra Palace in January 1985. The company has built a reputation for detail, and their DeLorean is one of the most realistic replicas available, complete with working time displays, gauges, lighting and sounds as they appeared in the first film, plus the hoverboard and sports almanac props from the sequels.

For anyone who would rather be behind the wheel than standing behind a rope, Sandstone offers two ways to get close. Their static display package runs from one to eight hours with a professional operator on hand, dressed to theme if that is what you are after, and their experience option is a chauffeur-driven fifteen-mile run with a driver who knows Back to the Future inside out, functional time circuits, the illuminated flux capacitor, lights, sounds and effects, a Doc Brown guide and unlimited photos. Prices start at £180 for the static display and £190 for a one-hour experience, with transport of the vehicles across the UK from £250, though their Hampshire base near Southampton keeps those costs down for local bookings. They have worked with the MOD, the NHS and the Royal Navy, and their Star Wars Speeder Bike and KITT were added to the fleet in late 2025 and early 2026 respectively.

Whether you are chasing a photo of the DeLorean or you have a soft spot for KITT, the Southampton display is the easiest way to see them both in one place without booking anything. It is a low-effort outing that works as well for a quick look as it does for a proper afternoon out with the kids, and with a full week to catch it, there is plenty of time to plan around it.