Wheels & Deals with The Old Car Lady – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us for a quickfire round with Jason Hall, driving into everything from cash trades and manual gearboxes to those infamous ‘walks of shame’ to the petrol station. This episode is packed with memories, all served up with plenty of laughs.

Pitstops :

• How Glenmarch helps get the true auction prices on classic cars.
• Fond memories of manual gearboxes and  classic modifications.
• Locked fuel caps, wire coat hangers for aerials, and those trusty carrier bag seat covers.
• Stranded on the hard shoulder? 
• Jason’s ultimate dream car…..

A Nod To

• Bramhall Classics and the classic car trade heritage
• Resources like Glenmarch for real-world car price data

If we missed anyone or anything, please reach out at grangebaileys@gmail.com

Come Along for the Ride with Me at:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I’m joined by Jason Hall from Bramhall Classics, who’s got tales to tell from the gritty heart of the motor trade. From scrapping around in a ’66 Mini with a push-button starter, to working in grease-soaked garages Jason spills the beans on dodgy deals, and the outright sabotage (pee in petrol tank?) in the motor trade.

Get ready for a proper ride, packed with laughs, legends, and classic car stories that only Wheels & Deals can deliver.

Pitstops

• Jason’s first drive into the car world, starting at 13 with a mini 850.
• Life in the Bramhall Village garages, spattered with grease, no health and safety, but full of banter.
• Trade culture shifting from shiny suits to branded fleeces.
• Classic trade revenge stories, like the infamous ‘grass carpet.
• The ‘never meet your heroes’ moment is a Ferrari 400i. 
• Warranty claims going sideways, speedometer meltdowns, and mad last-minute fixes.
• Why Jason loves driving the old way, proper clutches, gear shifts, and real road feel that modern tech just can’t match.
• Classic Minis, Daimlers, Citroëns, Aston Martins, Porsches, Lambos, Ferraris, Rolls, Bentleys, Multiple Mercedes models, and more.

A Nod To

• Bramhall Classics (Jason’s business)
• Ian Roberts,  Jason’s trusted business partner
• Classic garages and petrol stations in Bramhall including the infamous prepaid pump
• Red Lion Autos and B&E Sales for their friendly approaches
• Valued trade haunts and auction houses like Hargoods (Cheadle)
• The colourful characters and legends that enlivened the trade
• Publications and resources like Glasses’ Guide for car valuations

If we’ve missed anyone mentioned in the show, please drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com

Come Along for the Ride with Me at:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I’m delighted to be joined by motoring journalist Richie Barnett as we take a trip back through the motor trade's glory days. Together, we share stories, characters, and the quirky businesses that made this period so special.

We explore everything from family Triumph estates and childhood Matchbox cars, to bustling local dealers and trade-only auction houses that still echo in the memories of those who lived it. We share some proper classic tales about legendary dealers and the old-school bits and bobs we used to use to break into cars!

Pitstops:

• Richie's journey into the car world from his childhood memories to the beginnings of his passion. 

• Life in Brentford's motor trade scene, the role of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, and the hustle around Eaton High Street's Ford dealership. 

• Local motoring landmarks such as Cha and Scott Motoring Bookshop (Isleworth, now RS in Hook, Hampshire) and Hargoods auction house (Cheadle).

• The traders who made the scene memorable, John Ao, aka The Mad Dane in Staines, and American car importer Will Phillips.

• The transformation from print ads in Exchange and Mart or AutoTrader magazines to the digital age of car marketplaces.

• A fun quick-fire look at vintage car accessories and restoration attempts.

A Nod to:

• Society of Motor Manufacturers
• Beechams Company Cars
• Cha and Scott Motoring Bookshop (Isleworth/Hook) — chaters.co.uk
• Ford Dealership in Eaton High Street
• Hargoods Auction House (Cheadle)
• John Ao, The Mad Dane (Staines)
• American Car Importers of old like Ian Grange & Wilf Phillips
• Exchange and Mart
• AutoTrader
• Auto Classic and Car Accessory Trader magazines

If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com

Come Along for the Ride with Me at:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week, your host Sam Grange Bailey kicks off the Wheels & Deals Podcast with a personal journey back to the wild and wonderful Manchester Motor Trade of the 1970s and 80s. As a classic car dealer and a car dealer’s daughter, Sam shares what it was like growing up in a world of huge characters, chancy deals, and some of the most desirable cars ever made.

From a childhood spent around high-end motors in Handforth to a stint in Miami, this episode sets the stage for a series dedicated to preserving the fabulous, and sometimes grubby, memories of a golden era. Sam explains why these stories are worth saving and invites you to join her in celebrating the cars, the characters, and the deals that we may never see again.

Pitstops:

• Sam’s introduction to the car world, growing up as the daughter of legendary Manchester dealer, Ian Grange.
• A glimpse into the 70s and 80s motor trade, where "hard graft and a bit of nous" could get you a long way.
• The story of how her dad started from a humble pitch in Ancoats and the family’s move to the US to escape 83% tax rates.
• The realization that going to school in classic Ferraris and Mercedes Gullwings wasn’t exactly a normal 1975 experience.
• The mission of the podcast: to collect and record the memories of the motor trade before they are lost forever.
• An open invitation for listeners to share their own stories, memories, and questions.

Stick with us for road trips, behind-the-scenes moments, and the cars that make your heart race.

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I’m joined by a very special guest Pat Grange - My Mum! She was the woman behind the man, the dealer's wife who saw it all. From a respectable job in a bank to being told she was dating a "horse thief," her life was turned upside down by the charismatic car dealer Ian Grange.

We drive back to the hilarious and sometimes hair-raising stories of their life together. We talk about the glamour of driving Facel Vegas and the grit of having to clean 40 cars on a Saturday morning. From disastrous first dates in leaky Corvettes to crashing a Bentley Continental on Christmas Eve, my mum shares what it was really like to be married to the motor trade. It was a world of mink coats and midnight deliveries, where cash flow was king and you never knew what the next day would bring.

Pitstops:

• From banking to Bentley Continentals: Mum’s journey into the motor trade.
• The infamous Christmas Eve incident involving a Bentley, a brand-new garage door, and half a bottle of whiskey.
• The art of the deal: How a crashed Bentley was legally transformed into a Rolls-Royce Cloud III Continental Chinese Eye.
• The reality behind the glamour: Juggling cash flow, raising kids, and driving across the country to make mortgage payments.
• A dealer's wife's duties: The endless cycle of cleaning cars with T-Cut, doing the books, and being on call 24/7.
• Star-studded Christmas parties with Matt Monro, Bernard Manning, and scandalous strippers.
• Celebrity cars and dodgy deals: Stories of Rod Stewart’s Lamborghini Miura, King Hussein of Jordan’s bulletproof Lincoln, and questionable bodywork repairs.

A Nod to:

• Frank Dale & Stepsons
• Red Line Autos (Cheadle)
• The Piccadilly Hotel & The Midland Hotel (Manchester)

If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com

Come Along for the Ride with Me at:

📸 Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I'm joined by Fraser Pemberton from Kell Green Classics, Knutsford. Whilst I grew up with a dad who was a prolific buyer & seller, Fraser was surrounded by a constant stream of incredible metal throughout the 70s and 80s.

We reminisce about some legendary dealers like Ron Stratton, a man known for his flash showrooms and fiery temper. From buying a Model T hot rod at the Tatton Park car show to keep a young Fraser out of trouble, to the teenage antics of "borrowing" his stepmum's Honda CRX, this episode is a fantastic look at life on the other side of the trade.

Pitstops:

• Growing up surrounded by Porsches, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces
• The world of “over-list” cars — and how Fraser’s dad had a new Porsche 930 Turbo every six months
• Teenage tales of “borrowing” a Jaguar XJS and a Honda CRX (and getting busted by his uncle)
• How the rowdy owner-operator dealers of the past have been replaced by today’s corporate showrooms
• Fraser’s own car history — from a Mini Clubman and a Suzuki Jeep to his early days buying and selling VW Beetles
• Fraser’s Porsche 928 love affair
• Hero to zero: why early Ferraris disappointed, but a 512 TR impressed
  Zero to hero: how a Porsche Cayenne surprised him — and why TVRs aren’t as scary as expected

A Nod to:

• Ron Stratton

• Culver’s of Manchester

• Tatton Park Car Shows

• Basil Burton (Roscoe Roundabout)

• Kell Green Classics, Knutsford

If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com.

Come Along for the Ride with Me at:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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.

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I'm joined by Jason from Bramhall Classics for a special auction episode. We headed to H&H Classics at Buxton Pavilion Gardens for their preview day to have a proper look at some cars that had caught our eye -  we make our price predictions, and see how close we got when the hammer fell.

From an exceptional 1938 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Park Ward limousine that Jason described as "the straightest 25/30 I've ever seen" to a 1970 Chevrolet Corvette convertible we were hoping to buy as a joint venture, we discuss what makes a car worth bidding on and what sends us running for the hills. Plus, we had an epic fail with a Formula Libre racing car that we both got spectacularly wrong! Find out how badly wrong we got our predictions and which cars surprised us on the day.

Pitstops: 

• The declining Alvis TE21 market reality 

• Why we ran from a 1972 Crayford Cortina convertible 

• The ultimate Marmite car - 1971 Toyota Crown 

• BMW 2002 - the perfect usable classic 

• A 1929 Dodge Six project that tempted us 

• Volvo P1800ES  

A Nod to: 

• H&H Classics 

• Buxton Pavilion Gardens 

• Bramhall Classics 

• Park Ward coachbuilders 

• Crayford conversions

If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com.

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.

Don't forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Wheels & Deals, I'm joined by Martin Buckley, leading motoring journalist, senior contributor for Classic & Sports Car, and author of over 20 books about classic cars. My dad always described him as "a car dealer cleverly disguised as a journalist" - a description Martin happily accepts!

Martin shares how his father Ken sparked his passion with incredible cars when they weren't classics, just "old cars" - including an Aston Martin DB2 bought for £300 and sold for £360. But it was a BMW 2800 CS that truly ignited Martin's automotive obsession at age 12-13, describing it as "like a spaceship" with its electric windows and stunning looks. From writing his first article about BMW CS cars on the day of Live Aid to becoming one of Britain's most respected motoring journalists, Martin's journey is fascinating.

Pitstops: 

• Ken Buckley's eclectic car collection including Austin Atlantics and Rover P6Bs 

• The NSU Sports Prinz that the postman fell through the floor of 

• Why BMW CS cars rusted worse than any British or Italian car 

• Martin's teenage Jaguar 3.8 manual overdrive and the inevitable crash 

• From car cleaner to motoring journalist without formal training 

• The birth of classic car magazines and when "old cars" became "classics" 

• Martin's unfulfilled dream of designing the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow replacement

A Nod to: 

• Classic & Sports Car magazine 

• Car magazine 

• Motor Sport magazine

If we've mentioned you but missed you here, drop me a line at grangebaileys@gmail.com.

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.

Don't forget to like, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!