Mike Brewer: ‘The vendor regretted selling it’

Over the past 13 seasons, the most requested car for us to tackle has been the Ford Escort RS Cosworth. The issue has always been finding the right one. In fact, I’ve spent as many years as we’ve had seasons searching, but they have always been too expensive and too complete.

I’d almost given up my quest for what seemed like the motoring ‘holy grail’ until I was at the Classic Auto Show, the US’s equivalent to the NEC Classic Motor Show. I started talking to a guy called Emil about a Volkswagen Corrado he had, and he let slip that he owned a Ford Escort RS Cosworth in California. I thought it must be the wrong car, but low and behold, just 30 miles away from our workshop, there in a garage in Burbank was the car. It was a 1995 model in blue, with just the right amount of jobs needing attention and all the potential to become a Wheeler Dealers star. At that point in filming, it was the most expensive car I’d ever bought on the show at £22,500 ($30,000.) As for the sale, Emil had been in constant contact since I bought the car, and I could tell that he’d regretted parting with it, but he just couldn’t get the restoration done himself. Ant and I discussed it and it seemed only fair and right to offer Emil the chance to buy it back. We’ve all been there – sold a car and then wished we hadn’t. It’s a sad feeling and as you will see, Emil’s face at the end of the episode proves that we made the right decision.