The Dealer’s Wheel
Ant Anstead meets the people who make our world go round
Wheeler Dealers’ new boy, Ant, loves a room full of classic car nuts.
Well what a whirlwind that was. I drop tools in California, get on a plane to the UK to host onstage at the Classic Car show, NEC. I then blink, and I’m back on a plane, and into the Wheeler Dealers’ workshop.
This year the NEC show stood out to me for so many reasons. It was a chance to step out and meet British fans of the world’s biggest car restoration show on TV. I knew I could be in for some stick because in the USA we’re already watching the new show, some weeks before the UK. But true to form the car fans at the Birmingham event put aside any gripes and focused on the car stuff.
Mike Brewer and I were met with generous acceptance. The message was that they realise the show must go on, and while onstage with Mike they could clearly see that he and I have a real relationship bound together by the love of cars. On the Saturday night we screened an exclusive premiere of the first episode to about 300 people, including journalists and competition winners. Imagine that. My own premiere! It was amazing.
Team charity effort
I attended the NEC on the back of almost nine months of building the Teamant charity car in aid of the Harrisons Fund to fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The project was simple. Lancaster Insurance tasked Mike and I to build a car against each other in a classic car buildoff. Both would sell at the Silverstone NEC auction and the car that sells for the most wins. Mine was a monumental team effort drawing on the kindness of the car community to build a one-off, scratch-built, singleseater track car inspired by a period Alfa Romeo. Mike restored a Ford XR3I.
Both cars went under the hammer on the Saturday of the show and remarkably both sold for the same amount, £20,000, meaning Mike and I drew… frustrating as I was convinced I had the edge (I’m very competitive). With the auction fees and some cash saved across the build I’m extremely proud to say that Mike and I managed to raise more than £50,000 for charity.
For The Love of Clubs
The NEC is a huge site, and each year the show there gets bigger. I always struggle to get round during opening hours as I have stage commitments, but when the show closes I walk around the empty halls getting to see how truly brilliant this sector is. And it didn’t disappoint! The halls were rammed full of cars to suit every possible palate, with such a huge impact made by the car clubs we have in the UK. There were some remarkable displays. There were two stand-out highlights for me. First I was reunited with the For The Love Of Cars Volkswagen Golf GTI MKI and a man who will always be a hero for me, Walter Ainsworth. Hearing the news for the first time onstage that Walter has once again got to face a fight for his life as his cancer has returned, I was left with mixed emotions. I know I join everyone in our community in wishing him well. Second I got to interview automotive royalty – Frank Stephenson! I was mesmerised listening to Frank tell the stories from over 30 years of designing some of the worlds most iconic cars – the Ford Escort Cosworth, BMW X5, new MINI, new Fiat 500 among them , as well as every Mclaren since 2008. If the interview is online, find it, and watch it. This man is superb. On the Saturday evening I again hosted the Car Club awards. There is real joy in a room full of car folk. Bear in mind these people are largely volunteers. And no heart is greater than the heart of a volunteer. On the Sunday I again got to host the Pride of Ownership awards handing out trophies to the three best cars on display. I am always astonished at the level of detail achieved in restorations, often tackled at home over evenings and weekends. I’ve already started discussing the charity build for 2018 and know that next year’s show will build on 2017’s strengths. Seeing so many young people at the NEC gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling that the car community in the UK is not only alive it is thriving. Now for the PC Show in March!