If you ask a car enthusiast what their favorite TV show is, they will probably say ‘Wheeler Dealers’. That’s because car enthusiasts love nothing more than a comeback story.
The Wheeler Dealers team are experts in bringing old, neglected cars back to life for someone else to enjoy.
If you’re looking for a one-stop resource covering everything you need to know about Wheeler Dealers, you’re in the right place. Let’s get started.
How long has Wheeler Dealers been on TV?
Wheeler Dealers has been on TV since October 2003. The show concept was created by Daniel Allum and Michael Wood of Attaboy TV, the original production company behind the show.
Series one of Wheeler Dealers officially began airing on the 7th of October 2003. It was our first introduction to Mike Brewer and Edd China working together as a dynamic duo.
Mike and Edd had fantastic chemistry and a shared love for cars that went on to make the show a roaring success.
What was the first car to appear on Wheeler Dealers?
The first Wheeler Dealers car was the 1983 Porsche 924. The car was purchased for £700 and £310 was spent on parts for repairs. The car subsequently sold for £1,500, securing Mike and Edd a first-time profit of £490.
Mike and Edd were keen to get an iconic vehicle on the very first episode of Wheeler Dealers, and the ‘83 Porsche 924 certainly did the trick.
Edd’s repairs on the Porsche 924 included replacing the gear knob, repainting the wheels, adjustment of the exhaust to prevent knocking, the addition of a new stereo and a full engine service.
Edd also paid significant attention to the bodywork: removing dents, refreshing the leather interior and machine polishing the exterior paint.
What is the Wheeler Dealers theme song?
The Wheeler Dealers theme song is entitled “Balaclava” by The Wideboys. The song was first used in Series 5 of the show and has been the theme song ever since. The song is instantly recognisable amongst car enthusiasts!
Having an easily recognisable theme song is key to a successful television show. It helps to keep the show memorable amongst fans.
A punchy theme song can also help to draw in new viewers who can feel the excitement and anticipation behind the music.
How many mechanics work on Wheeler Dealers?
There is one main on-screen mechanic on Wheeler Dealers. Behind the scenes, there are several technical advisors who assist with off-screen repairs and more complicated repairs.
Paul Brackley, friend and associate of Edd China, has documented his time as a technical advisor on the show.
Paul claims that he would carry out standard safety checks and more mundane repair tasks off-screen, to keep the show exciting and fresh.
For example, it would get boring watching Edd as he checks the tire treads and refills the coolant reservoir. These are standard tasks that you would expect to be carried out on any used car.
In order to keep the show visually exciting and innovative, a team of technical advisors carry out these tasks behind the scenes.
How many series of Wheeler Dealers are there?
There are 17 full series of Wheeler Dealers that have aired to date. The 18th series is currently airing. There are also two official spin-off shows that riff on the classic Wheeler Dealers format.
Wheeler Dealers has been on our TV screens for 20 years now, and it hasn’t gotten boring yet!
This is because Mike Brewer and the production team have worked hard to keep the format exciting.
The show continues to grow in viewership and popularity across the world. Its influence on the car enthusiasts of today cannot be understated.
According to Mike himself, Wheeler Dealers is the most-watched automotive TV show in the world today!
What are the Wheeler Dealers spin-off shows?
Alongside the main Wheeler Dealers show, there are two spin-off shows called Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car and Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up. Both shows follow a similar format to Wheeler Dealers.
Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up had a two series limited-run from 2013 to 2014.
Trading Up featured Mike Brewer as he travelled across the world to trade a cheap vehicle into a supercar in as few trades as possible.
In series one, Mike turned a 2004 Suzuki Alto LX from Kolkata, India into a 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera Convertible from Dubai.
Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car follows Mike and Elvis as they help out of luck petrolheads in securing their dream car.
Much like Trading Up, Dream Car requires Mike to trade up several vehicles before reaching the participant’s dream vehicle.
Is Wheeler Dealers real or fake?
According to Mike Brewer, Wheeler Dealers is 100% real. This means that the initial car purchase, the repairs and the final sale are all legitimate. There are no paid actors or scripted scenes.
Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, mandates that all televised car sales must be real for the show to be broadcast:
If this is the case, the sale of any Wheeler Dealers car must be fully legitimate for the episode to appear on television.
For more information on this topic, check out our guide on how to buy a Wheeler Dealers car.
Why do Wheeler Dealers sell so cheap?
Sometimes it is necessary for Mike to sell the cars at a low asking price due to the time constraints involved in filming the show. The higher the price, the longer a car usually takes to sell to the right buyer.
In the private car sales market, it can sometimes take months to sell a car for the owner’s desired price point.
Mike has stated that the show is on a strict schedule when it comes to filming, so it’s often necessary to sell at a lower price point for a quick turnaround.
That’s not to say that the boys don’t get lucky sometimes. Check out our post on Wheeler Dealers biggest profit.
Where is Wheeler Dealers filmed?
Wheeler Dealers is currently filmed in a specialist workshop in Westcott, Buckinghamshire. Filming also takes place across the UK as Mike Brewer sources and sells the vehicles that are featured.
Wheeler Dealers announced that it would be returning to the UK in 2020 for personal and professional reasons.
Since then, Mike has jokingly voiced his displeasure about being back on home soil:
For the moment, it looks like Wheeler Dealers will be remaining in the UK with Mike and Elvis.
Why did Wheeler Dealers change mechanics?
Wheeler Dealers has featured three mechanics since its beginnings in 2003. Both Edd China and Ant Anstead left the show for separate personal reasons. Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley is the show’s current mechanic.
Edd China left Wheeler Dealers as a result of the workshop segments being cut down in length and detail during filming.
This was largely due to a change in production company from Attaboy TV to Velocity.
Ant Anstead left the show when it announced it would be returning to the UK.
Ant had laid the foundations for his family to live out in the US during his time on Wheeler Dealers.
When it came time to return to the UK, Ant decided to continue building his new life out in the US.
Final thoughts
As you can probably tell, the team at Casual Car Guide are huge Wheeler Dealers fans.
It’s a must-watch for any budding car enthusiast who wants to be entertained and learn more about the workings of cars.
We hope that this article helped to answer some of your questions about Wheeler Dealers!
Did we miss anything? Let us know below!
I sometimes get a bit angry when Mike says “profit” WITHOUT adding in Edd’s wages and time. Surely some jobs would ne THOUSANDS!
sorry BE not ne
Now ‘why-or-Y’ doesn’t ‘someone somewhere out-there’ really do a properly original full ‘restoration-&-modification’ if necessary either ‘two-or-2’ once properly genuine ‘Triumph TR7’ either ‘Hard Top Coupe’ or ‘H.T.C.’ models. So that when they’re finished in reality-&-really either ‘one-or-1’is an effectively genuinely original
‘Triumph TR7 Sprint’ models, and instead of the other being equipped by an original ‘Buick or Rover-V8’ named engine. That one-or-1 is really
fitted-&-equipped or powered by genuine ‘Lotus V8 really quad-cam 32V’ version of the same block basically?..
I live in South Australia and still drive a 1600cc Superbug ‘Formula V’ Beetle that I bought brand new in 1971. Its up to 330, 000 MILES at the moment, and still goes like a new one. I’ve been a fan of the show for many years and think it would be great if the fellas could bring it back to its original condition. It’s still rust-free and in GREAT shape, but just needs a bit of TLC to make it truly 100%. It’s a pity that they don’t have a work shop here in Oz.