Back to the Future: DeLorean Time Machine, Doc Brown's Owner's Workshop Manual
Last updated: 2 October 2026
The DeLorean owner's workshop manual is a Haynes-style guide to the time machine from Back to the Future, written as if Doc Brown had built it. Its co-author Bob Gale co-wrote all three films, and Joe Walser led Universal's restoration of the real screen car. It is a 160-page hardback from Insight Editions, and Amazon UK had it at £29.63 on 2 October 2026.
Buy the DeLorean manual on Amazon UK
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What the DeLorean owner's workshop manual covers
The book follows the format of the Haynes car manuals, with cutaway drawings and step-by-step breakdowns. Instead of a Ford Fiesta, though, it takes apart the DeLorean from the films. It covers the original time machine and the flying version from Part II, including the flux capacitor and the Mr. Fusion unit that replaces the plutonium.
Walser drew the illustrations himself. Because he restored the real car, the drawings come from someone who has taken the screen-used DeLorean apart.
The two authors
Bob Gale co-created, co-wrote and co-produced Back to the Future and both sequels, and was nominated for an Oscar for the first film's screenplay. He has also written comics, including Spider-Man and Batman.
Joe Walser spent decades in film art departments. In 2013 he led Universal Studios' restoration of the DeLorean used in all three films, and that car is now on show at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Insight Editions describes him as "the world's leading authority on the DeLorean time machine".
Key facts
- Authors: Bob Gale and Joe Walser, with illustrations by Walser
- Publisher: Insight Editions, in the Haynes Manual series
- Published: 30 March 2021
- Format: hardback, 160 pages, 27 x 21cm, which is close to a sheet of A4
- ISBN: 9781683836216
- Price: £29.63 on Amazon UK when we checked
Who it suits as a gift
- Back to the Future fans: it explains how the car was meant to work, with input from the man who wrote the films.
- Car people: the Haynes layout will be familiar to anyone who has ever changed their own oil.
- Prop and model makers: the cutaways come from the person who restored the screen car.
Our gifts for movie buffs guide has more ideas for film fans.
Where to buy it in the UK
Amazon UK had the hardback at £29.63. More background on the car itself is on the DeLorean time machine Wikipedia page, and the publisher's details are on Insight Editions.
The DeLorean manual on Amazon UK
FAQs
Who wrote the DeLorean owner's workshop manual?
Bob Gale, who co-wrote the Back to the Future films, and Joe Walser, who restored the original screen car for Universal and drew the illustrations.
Is it a real Haynes manual?
It is part of the Haynes Manual series, published by Insight Editions. It describes a fictional car, so it is a fan book, not a repair guide for a real DeLorean DMC-12.
How many pages is it?
The hardback has 160 pages.
How much does it cost?
Amazon UK had it at £29.63 on 2 October 2026. The US list price is $29.99.
Does it cover the flying DeLorean?
Yes. It covers the original time machine and the flying version from Back to the Future Part II.
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