Wheels & Deals with Sam Grange-Bailey

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for a conversation with Martin Buckley, motoring journalist and classic car author whose first book was published when he was just 19. Martin has written over 20 car books including the acclaimed Facel Vega volume, and his passion stems from his parents' collection of rusty BMWs, Lancias, and Jaguars.
This episode explores how car books shaped Martin's career. From his first books about BMW E9s to writing the Facel Vega history (dealing with sniffy French owners' clubs), Martin shares stories about swapping price tags in Manchester bookshops and why sometimes it's better to have the brochure than the car. We discuss Italian design versus German engineering, why the BMW CS is the perfect shape, and why exotic cars are everywhere now.
Featured Books
BMW The Bavarian Motor Works by Michael Frostick - Martin's first proper car book
The MG File - Martin's first published book at age 19
Facel Vega (Palawan Press) - Martin's masterpiece, £750 when published
British Leyland The Truth About the Cars by Jeff Daniels (1980) - Brilliant BL decline account
Jaguar by Paul Skilleter - Where Martin learned Jaguar history
The Controversial Corvair - Ralph Nader's "unsafe at any speed" story
What You'll Learn
How Martin published his first book at 19 years old
Why BMW E9 CS is the perfect shape - part Italian, part German, masculine and feminine
The story behind the Facel Vega book and hostile French owners' clubs
Why Italian designers beat German ones (they made suits of armour first)
How Martin's parents' rusty exotic cars shaped his career
Why it's better to have the brochure than the car sometimes
Why exotic cars are everywhere now (finance deals, not cash buyers)
Key Questions
Should an author's opinion come through in car books?
Yes - readers want new information, not regurgitated facts. The best books interview people who were actually there. Martin wants books with soul, like Jeff Daniels' British Leyland book capturing the tumbleweed moment when they unveiled the Austin 3-litre disaster.
Why are Italian designers better than Germans?
Italians were good at making suits of armour and bashing metal over stumps for centuries. They have design houses like Bertone and Pininfarina. Germans prioritise practicality over beauty. Even pretty Mercedes were designed by Italians. The BMW E9 CS was probably designed by Gandini - too good to be German.
Did your parents' cars shape your career?
Absolutely. Martin's dad bought rusty exotic cars for £1,500 in the 1970s - BMW 2800 CS, Lancia Flavia, Jaguar S-Type, Fiat 130. They were symbols of a way out, cars that shouldn't have been on their road. Martin says "I wanted to get in these cars and fuck off."
A Nod to
Palawan Press - Published Facel Vega bookSt John Square Manchester - Where Martin swapped price tagsChaters Bookshop Manchester - Specialist car book shopJeff Daniels - Autocar journalist, British Leyland book authorPaul Skilleter - Started Practical Classics
Get in Touch
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady
#MartinBuckley #CarBooks #FacelVega #BMWE9 #PalavanPress #ItalianDesign #ClassicCarAuthor #MotoringJournalist #BritishLeyland #TheOldCarLady #RustyExoticCars
Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for a conversation with Richy Barnett, classic car enthusiast, book collector, and Markets Editor for Classic Car Weekly. Richy’s career started at Chaters Car Bookshop, and he now curates what must be one of the most impressive car book collections in the country with a whole room fitted with bespoke bookcases.
This episode explores the golden age of car books when they were treasured birthday presents and the only way to learn about exotic cars. We discuss rare editions, 1960s car book illustrations, and whether we're the last generation to value physical books. From Ian Rimmer's Rolls-Royce Experimental Cars masterpiece to Simon Kidston's limited-edition Lamborghini Miura book (now worth £3,500), Richy shares his favourites and explains why Italian styling with American engines creates the perfect car.
Featured Books
Rolls-Royce and Bentley Experimental Cars by Ian Rimmer (1986) - Masterpiece with beautiful writing
The Complete Book of Lamborghini by Pete Lyons - Bought from Chaters in 1989 for £17.20
Lamborghini Miura by Simon Kidston - Limited edition, one per chassis number, now £3,500
A-Z of British Coachbuilders 1919-1960 - Gurney Nutting speciality
Facel Vega by Martin Buckley (Palawan Press) - £750 when published
What You'll Learn
Why 1960s car books featured beautiful illustrations instead of photographs
How the likes of Chaters Car Bookshop shaped a generation of enthusiasts
Why Italian styling with American engines creates the perfect hybrid (AC 428)
The DNA of Audi from Auto Union and Nazi connections to modern cars
Why physical books are more trustworthy than Google for research
How Simon Kidston's Miura book went from cover price to £3,500
Key Questions
Are we the last generation to value car books?
Richie believes younger enthusiasts will still seek out books, but the ritual of saving pocket money and treasuring them as birthday presents is probably gone. Quality publishers like Palawan Press prove demand exists for beautifully researched car books.
What makes a great car book?
The best books tell stories about people behind the cars. Quality writing, beautiful illustrations, thoughtful typeface design, and proper binding all matter. Books like Ian Rimmer's Rolls-Royce experimental cars are written "with soul and love" not just facts.
Why are some car books worth thousands?
Limited editions like Simon Kidston's Miura book or Martin Buckley's Facel Vega become collectible because they're beautifully produced and cover desirable subjects. The right book on the right subject always finds buyers.
A Nod to
Chaters Car Bookshop - Where Richy’s career started Classic Car Weekly - Richy’s Markets Editor Palawan Press - High-quality motoring book publishers Simon Kidston - Limited-edition Miura book author Ian Rimmer - Rolls-Royce experimental cars author Martin Buckley - Facel Vega book author
Get in Touch
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady
#RichieBarnett #ClassicCarBooks #ChatersBookshop #ClassicCarWeekly #CarBookCollector #AC428 #FacelVega #LamborghiniMiura #RollsRoyceExperimental #PalavanPress #SimonKidston #MartinBuckley #TheOldCarLady #MotoringSBooks #CarBookIllustrations #booktok #classiccars
Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

Join Sam Grange-Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for a conversation with Albert Walsh, a veteran of the motor trade with over 55 years' experience. Albert is a well-respected member of Porsche Club GB, regularly consulted for pre-purchase inspections, and a consultant for Manor Park Classics Auctions.
This episode takes you through Albert's journey from driving at 13 in his dad's garage to working for the northwest's most prestigious dealers including Ian Anthony's Porsche Centre, Mercedes-Benz, Bauer Millet, and Bentley Ribble Valley. Albert shares stories about the glory days when customers paid in briefcases full of cash and Friday lunchtimes meant racing E-Types down the East Lancs Road.
From his first car (a sit-up-and-beg Ford Pop) to his beloved 1986 Porsche 911 Super Sport Targa, Albert's collection includes British, French, and German classics. We discuss dodgy dealers, celebrity car deals gone wrong (including David Beckham's TVR Cerbera), and why the 1980s were the heyday of the independent motor trade.
Featured Cars
1968 Volkswagen Beetle 1500 - Albert's first legal car, written off on Cross Ply’s in the snow
1986 Porsche 911 Super Sport Targa - Bought for £11,750 in 2000, sold for £16,000
2CV - Red one-owner example bought from Ian Anthony's for £1,200
Mercedes-Benz W124 estate in Red - Albert's favourite Mercedes, "the fire engine"
Citroën SM - Fastest front-wheel-drive production car of its time
Lotus Elise - Albert's speciality, ran his own Lotus repair business
What You'll Learn
Why the 1980s were the heyday of the independent motor trade
How Ian Anthony's operated waiting lists over a year for new Porsches
The truth about pre-purchase inspections and spotting cut-and-shut cars
Why customers who "need to check with the wife" never come back
How Martin Inghams’s Autotrader adverts became legendary
The art of "borrowing" stock cars for classic car shows
Key Questions
What makes a good pre-purchase inspection?
Albert uses paint depth gauges, axle stands, and decades of experience to spot welded repairs and hidden damage. The best dealers have nothing to hide. Trust your instincts - if something feels wrong, it usually is.
Who were the big characters in the northwest motor trade?
Martin Ingram  (legendary adverts), Lawrence Millet (gentleman dealer), Ian of Ian Anthony's fame  (forward-thinking Porsche dealer), Len Taylor (threw rude customers out), and mechanics like Albert's dad who could diagnose faults by ear alone.
What was the worst car you've inspected?
A Porsche Boxster that had been cut-and-shut with welded inner wings, a 997 with piston slap the dealer claimed was "just a lazy tappet," and cars with missing spare wheels and keys the owners swore were "in the garage somewhere."
A Nod to
Ian Anthony's Porsche Centre - Premier Porsche and BMW dealer Mercedes-Benz - Where Albert learned the W124 inside out.  Bauer Millets - Lawrence Millet and Chris Bauer's exotic dealership. Bentley Ribble Valley - John Ashworth's Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Lotus dealership - his son Stephen Ashworth is the founder and Chairman of Manor Park Classics. Kinsey Jones - Top Lotus dealer in Europe. Martin Ingram - Independent dealer with legendary Autotrader adverts. Porsche  Club GB - Albert served as Register Director and Chairman of Motorsport.
Get in Touch
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady
 #MotorTradeStories #PorscheClubGB #EnsorMercedes #BaronMillet #MartinHam #ClassicCarInspections #Porsche911 #LotusElise #MercedesW124 #CitroenSM #2CV #1980sMotorTrade #NorthwestDealers #TheOldCarLady #ClassicCarDealer
Produced By Worth A Listen Production

Join Sam Grange-Bailey (The Old Car Lady) as she takes an exclusive tour of Martin Buckley's personal classic car collection. Martin is a leading motoring journalist, monthly contributor to Classic and Sports Car Magazine, and author of over 20 books.
His classic car collection spans the 1950s-70s, including a rare 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado (America's first mass-produced front-wheel-drive car), a 1971 Renault 16 TS (the first true hatchback), an NSU Ro80 with revolutionary semi-automatic gearbox, and a one-of-a-kind 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II extensively modified with a Spirit four-speed gearbox (£20,000 conversion), Land Rover Discovery disc brakes, and electronic ignition.
Originally owned by R100 airship engineer Denton Burney, Martin's modified Rolls-Royce demonstrates how thoughtful classic car modifications enhance usability without destroying authenticity. We also discuss his 1956 Riley Pathfinder (nicknamed the "ditch finder"), Range Rover, and exotic Lancia Flaminia.
Featured Cars
1971 Oldsmobile Toronado - First mass-produced front-wheel-drive American car. Martin's childhood dream, imported from Finland. £20-25k
1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II (Modified) - Spirit gearbox, Discovery brakes, electronic ignition. Owned by R100 airship engineer Denton Burney. Martin's favourite.
1971 Renault 16 TS - First true hatchback. "Almost as good a ride as a Citroën DS."
1972 NSU Ro80 - Advanced semi-automatic gearbox. "Something magical about it."
1956 Riley Pathfinder - "Ditch finder" nicknamed from it’s wonky wooden chassis jigs.
Lancia Flaminia - Italian exotic with aluminium V6 and transaxle. 
What You'll Learn
Why the Oldsmobile Toronado revolutionised American engineering
How a Spirit gearbox conversion transforms a Rolls-Royce (£20,000 cost
When classic car modifications improve usability without destroying value
Why American classic cars are more practical than their reputation
Martin's philosophy: "Just use them, don't abuse them"
The R100 airship engineering connection to Rolls-Royce ownership
How Discovery disc brakes upgrade classic Rolls-Royce stopping power
Key Questions
Can you modify a classic Rolls-Royce?
Martin's Cloud proves thoughtful modifications enhance usability. Spirit gearbox, Discovery brakes, and electronic ignition make it genuinely usable. Keep original parts for reversal.
Should classics have modern upgrades?
Martin advocates modifications that improve reliability - electronic ignition, disc brakes, modern gearboxes - without altering character. "Just use them, don't abuse them."
Are American classics practical in the UK?
"More usable than people think. Never feel that big when driving. The faster you go, the steadier it feels." Left-hand drive: "Use mirrors, kerb on one side, white lines on the other."
A Nod to
Denton Burney - R100 airship engineer, Burney Streamline creator
Classic and Sports Car Magazine
Manor Park Classics
Get in Touch
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady
#MartinBuckley #ClassicCarCollection #OldsmobileToronado #RollsRoyceCloud #NSURo80 #Renault16 #RileyPathfinder #LanciaFlaminia #ModifiedClassics #TheOldCarLady #ClassicCars #ClassicCarRestoration #SpiritGearbox #DentonBurney #BritishClassicCars #AmericanClassicCars #ClassicCarInvestment
Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

This week on Wheels & Deals, it's a listener special! I'm sharing some of the fantastic stories and comments you've sent in, answering your questions, and even launching a special appeal to track down the history of a very rare car.
We drive into the "dark arts" of the motor trade, explaining exactly why a dealer in the 70's might put sawdust in a gearbox or an egg in a radiator. We also share memories of the short-lived self-serve petrol pumps that took £5 notes, and the ingenious ways people found to get free fuel.
I'm launching a worldwide appeal to help a listener in Mexico, Angel Rivera, uncover the history of his very rare 1960 Mazda R360 Kei car. We have the chassis number and a few clues, but we need your help to piece together its story. And finally, we discuss the future of the motor trade and whether the classic car world is the last bastion of the "good old days."
Pitstops:
• Can you really fix a noisy gearbox with sawdust?
• Did you ever scam a self-serve petrol pump in the 70's?
• Is it sacrilege to put modern upgrades like electronic ignition on a classic car?
• A special appeal to help find the history of a rare Mazda R360 Kei car (Chassis/Engine: 70776).
• What does the future hold for the independent car dealer?
• Do TV appearances give classic cars like the Jaguar XJS a boost in the market?
A Nod to:
• Jason Hall
• Mike Smith
• Martin Buckley
• Angel Rivera
• And all the listeners who sent in messages and comments!
If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at [email protected].
Come Along for the Ride with Me at:
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎬 TikTok, Facebook & YouTube: The Old Car Lady
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554 — share your memories, stories, thoughts, and questions with us by sending a message or voice note.
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