Ten Questions Wheeler Dealers Special Part 1 – Mike Brewer

Taking inspiration from his custom hot rod-building dad, veteran petrolhead Mike Brewer started out as a humble car trader, and while he does still own and run a dealership he is now much better known for TV’s Wheeler Dealers. Mike Brewer has presented a host of other shows over the years, beginning with Deals on Wheels way back in ’97 and has turned down Top Gear not once, but twice, deciding instead to go his own way and passionately nurture his Wheeler Dealers baby that has gone on to become a bit of a monster, not least in terms of global viewing figures. Having traded up from a small garage in East London to a rather sizeable personal car collection nowadays, that drive to continually move forward has been an ethos that Mike has vehemently adhered to and is a big reason why the iconic Wheeler Dealers is still going strong after all these years.

Yep, we’re onto series 18 now which sees self-proclaimed workaholic Mike Brewer and ace mechanic Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley (returning for his second stint behind the spanners) doing what they do best: finding and restoring iconic cars to sell for a profit, so we sat down with the original Wheeler Dealer himself for a cuppa and a chat. All that’s left to do then is ‘old aht yer ‘and as Mike Brewer provides us with the answers to Car & Classic’s Ten Questions.

1) Wheeler Dealers, rather incredibly, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with series 18 of the wildly popular show well and truly in full swing. What is it that makes the show so endearing? Why does it strike such a chord with classic car fans?

I believe because it’s the original car flipping show, and it has always stayed true to its roots. The format is a simple one: the dealer buys the car and my mechanic fixes it up with a little help from me. Then we test our work before we sell it on. This format hasn’t changed in 20 years and although we have had cast changes the show remains faithful to the original format.

2) How did Wheeler Dealers come about? Can you talk a little bit about your journey from an East London car trader to one of the most recognisable car show hosts on television?

I was busy selling cars in South London very successfully when I was approached by Channel 4 to make a program called Deals on Wheels. From that show I was also picked up to make a new MotorTrend series called Driven, which again had big success.

At some point I was contacted by Discovery Channel to host my own car show, which initially was called Grand Autos, it developed into Wheeler Dealers, and by that time I was already an established TV host. However, nobody expected that we would still be making the series 20 years later.

3) Are there any particular favourite episodes or builds that you’ve done over the years that really stand out in your memory, for good or bad?

I’ve had many favourite episodes throughout the years, and in the classic series with Edd China the Lamborghini Uracco was my favourite. In the middle years with Ant Anstead I really enjoyed the escort Cosworth episode. However, in this new run of Wheeler Dealers with Mark ‘Elvis’ Priestley, my favourite has been the Mk1 Ford Transit van.

4) Each mechanic obviously brings their own flavour, personality and experience to the workbench but how do they all differ and what’s it like now working with Marc for a second season? What does he contribute that was perhaps missing or is starkly different from the other guys you’ve partnered with on the show? Can you sum him up in three words?

Elvis has been a revelation on the series, and with the greatest respect to my two previous partners, he offers a different alternative on how to solve problems restoring cars. Elvis has a natural warmth to his style, which is easy to fall in love with like I have, and it appears the audience has as well.

We have a proper bromance and we fully respect each other’s talents, and it’s an absolute pleasure to work with him. Elvis in three words: talented, diligent, tenacious.

5) Something that really seemed to irk people was your move to America which we find strange as it was basically the exact same premise! Personally speaking, we thought it offered a fresh perspective that perhaps injected a little extra life into a show that was already on to its twelfth season at that point. How did it differ from the UK version in terms of production and why do you think so many fans got bent out of shape about seeing Mike Brewer in a different location?

Yes, the UK audiences reaction to the USA adventure caught us by surprise as well! It’s the same show shot with the same presenters and the same crew and production team all working on location in California, the only thing that changed was a few palm trees in the background and the occasional American car. The majority of all the vehicles we restored in California were European or Japanese but people still stop me today and say we did nothing but American cars in the USA! We find it baffling!

When you think as well that the majority of the program is shot in a windowless workshop, where you can’t see the outside, we effectively could’ve been filming in Birmingham! Yet the UK audience took offence to the fact that we took this little car show and put it on a global map in Hollywood, California. I for one am extremely proud of that six year period. I will state that it was only ever the UK audience. The rest of the world seem delighted with the American adventure..

6) Along with streaming services and the popularity and indeed proliferation of YouTube there are now countless channels that utilise the same format that originated with Wheeler Dealers. They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but having been around for so long what are your thoughts on these shows that often include a lot of fake jeopardy and impossible timescales?

Myself and the team feel incredibly flattered, it’s plagiarism at its best and you can’t move these days for other car shows trying to replicate the success of Wheeler Dealers. In fact, in America there is a whole network dedicated to just that.

I watch these other programs and although some are not for me, I’ve actually helped write or contribute to the success of others. Wheeler Dealers was the world’s first car flipping show that started 20 years ago and that can never be taken away from us.

7) Being a prolific Wheeler Dealer we know you’re partial to a Porsche, especially a 911, so what cars do you currently have in your collection? What are your top 5 and what could you never let go of no matter what?

I have an eclectic mix of vehicles, everything from a 1959 MGA to a new Porsche electric!

My go to car is a 1982 Porsche 911 hot rod that I’m continually improving. I also love my Porsche 912 E and my Ford Transit Mk1 but my favourite is my 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S.

8) Car & Classic has come on leaps and bounds since those early days, much like Wheeler Dealers, but during the early seasons you could often be spotted using the site when searching for a potential project. We’re guessing you have a team of researchers doing the leg work but do you still use the site to try and find future prospects?

I love the fact that people think that we have teams of people behind the scenes! The truth is, it’s just me and I have a chap called Matt who helps me source vehicles and it’s up to me whether they feature in the program or not. It’s the same for my social media. People often ask if they are talking to me or one of my team. I don’t have a team, it’s just me on social media.

We do however have a fantastic production team and film crew that have been together for almost two decades that know how to put this show together fantastically and now it feels like a well oiled machine, a bit like Car & Classic.

9) Like all of us here at Car & Classic you’re a firm supporter of actually using and driving your cars, which is the way it should always be. In light of EV technology and synthetic fuels what do you think the future holds for the classic car industry and do you have any tips for our readers as to which classics to buy right now?

Putting a car away in the garage for months on end does it no good.! Trust me. I’ve recently talked away my collection through this very cold winter and I’m now firefighting the damage that was caused. Having the cars out there and getting used is what they were built for, and they last much longer.

I believe the future for classic cars is very bright. There will still be fuel sold at service stations for the next millennia as long as there’s cars on the road. The market has changed somewhat in recent years and although prices have dipped there are still some really good places to find a decent, appreciating car. The every-man classic market is showing strong results still, and also the world of fast Fords never seems to stop surprising us.

Originality is also driving the market place at the moment, some cars have been restored maybe two or three times in the past, but original examples are making better returns so no matter what it is, look for the most original classic possible.

10) Finally, and tell us the truth Mike, are all of the buyer’s on the show 100% genuine or do you sometimes have to rope Terry the mic operator in to pretend to be a budding enthusiast with a pocket full of fifties?

Television has a law, and it would be against the law for us to sell a vehicle to a fake buyer, every car sold is 100% genuine, and it baffles me why people think differently as most of these people take their cars along to shows and proudly display them. If it were true, I would have to have a TV crew of 400 people!

I genuinely buy a car we genuinely fix it up and we genuinely sell it on. That’s what makes Wheeler Dealers so special.