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Wheels & Deals with Sam Grange-Bailey
Wheels & Deals is a UK classic car podcast hosted by Sam Grange-Bailey, The Old Car Lady. A classic car dealer and car dealer's daughter who grew up in the Manchester motor trade.
Sam doesn't present classic cars. She's traded them her whole life. She grew up through the golden era of the British motor trade. The 1960s, '70s, '80s and early '90s. When deals were done on a handshake, the cars had genuine personality, and the dealers who sold them were larger-than-life characters. This podcast preserves those stories before they're lost.
Each episode brings honest, unfiltered conversations with the people who lived it: dealers, auctioneers, journalists, mechanics, and collectors. Expect tales of dodgy deals, auction house drama, barn finds, family businesses, cars that got away, and the ones that probably should have.
If you've ever wondered what it was really like inside a British car dealership before the internet changed everything, or you just love hearing proper stories about proper cars, this is the podcast for you.
Featured guests have included Bond car specialists, Rolls-Royce dealers, senior motoring journalists, auction house insiders, and the characters who built the Manchester and UK classic car scene.
Topics covered: classic car market trends and values, buying and selling at auction, the history of the British motor trade, stories from the showroom floor, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, MG, Porsche, barn finds, modern classics, and the unwritten rules of the trade.
New episodes weekly.
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎬 YouTube, TikTok & Facebook: The Old Car Lady
Wheels & Deals with Sam Grange-Bailey
Martin Buckley | Oldsmobile Toronados, NSU Ro80s & His Modified Rolls-Royce
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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
💬 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