Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer has admitted he was now “happy” a classic Ford was stolen by thieves last summer in a major U-turn.
Criminals took the ultra-rare Ford Fiesta Mk1 from a trailer in a hotel car park just hours after the duo had applied the finishing touches.
The incident happened while filming the last season of the popular historic vehicle restoration show and left the duo devastated.
At the time, Mike admitted he was gutted by the move and even compared the crime to “losing a child”.
He has previously offered up to a £5,000 reward for any information which leads to the recovery of the historic model.
However, almost a year on from the vehicle being snatched, Mike admits it could have actually been a blessing in disguise.
Speaking to Express.co.uk: “It’s kind of a weird one. It’s one of those stories that never seems to go away. If people are talking about the show it’s brilliant.
“It happened all those months ago, nearly a year ago now and that’s going to keep resonating.
“Yes, the car is gone. It’s stolen and we aren’t going to see it, but I’m quite happy for it to be stolen.
“If anything it aided the end of the programme and it keeps the story alive. It’s a bit like when we did the Escort Cosworth, it always reminds me of that.
“The third wing on the Escort Cosworth with Ant Anstead we did in 2016 and that was eight years ago and people still talk about it today, how controversial that was.
“It’s great because it keeps the story alive and keeps people talking about it.”
Mike and Marc Priestley opted to work on a historic Fiesta as a special tribute to the model after Ford announced they were discontinuing the range.
The Fiesta Mk1 was purchased for just £4,000 after Mike negotiated the seller down from their previous £5,000 mark.
However, the two stars spent a whopping £11,200 on restoring the model with major updates needed to bring the model back to its former glory.
This includes an extensive engine repair, installing new water and oil pumps and updating the bodywork. The model was stolen hours before it was set to be unveiled to the public after thieves cut through chains in around 25 minutes.
However, Mike laughed that despite his philosophical attitude a year on, the incident was not written into the episode purely for the drama.
Mike laughed: “And genuinely it wasn’t a stunt.”
Wheeler Dealers World Tour will be available on Discovery Channel and discovery+, airing weekly on Mondays at 9pm from 29th April.
