If you’re into your cars, Mike Brewer needs little introduction. The used car dealer who lives locally in Leamington Spa is the star of TV’s hugely successful Wheeler Dealers shows – as well as other hit spin-offs around the world

Would you buy a used car from this man? Of course you would, and rightly so! Mike Brewer has been in the business of finding, repairing and selling second-hand motors – from Minis to Maseratis, Fords to Ferraris – for decades. But more than that, Mike turned a life-long fascination with all-things automotive into a global success story, starting with his Wheeler Dealers TV shows here in the UK and US, followed by spin-offs which have seen him filming and broadcasting in virtually every country in the world.

We snatched some time with Mike at his home in Leamington Spa after he had returned from working in Serbia and only hours before he was due to fly out to Italy for the next filming assignment of his Wheeler Dealers Word Tour series. Welcome to Mike’s incredibly busy life! “After Italy, I’m off to shoot in Germany, then Sweden, Greece and then back to UK,” said Mike. “There’s never a quiet moment, lots of travelling. Just about the only place I haven’t been to is Russia – for obvious reasons!”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The global reach of Mike’s appeal is a far cry from what were humble beginnings when he fronted the first Wheeler Dealers show in 2003 on the Discovery Channel. Discovery was looking for the right guy with the knowledge of the business and personality to launch the show – and they hit on Mike as the perfect fit! Mike became the bargain-hunter who found the used cars at knockdown prices, while Edd China was the spanner man who fixed them up, before Mike would sell them on for a (hopefully) handsome profit!

The show was a huge success with an audience who loved seeing all kinds of cars, from basic hatchbacks to fancy convertibles, muscular off-roaders, and exotic supercars, restored to their former glory. “The aim of the show from the very start was to try and make everything as accessible and entertaining as possible – so even my mum could understand it and want to watch,” explained Mike.

AMERICAN MOVE

As Wheeler Dealers grew, Mike made the leap of taking the show to the US, where it became a hit with American audiences as well as here in the UK. “The US was incredible,” said Mike. “I lived in California for six years and we made some amazing shows featuring some incredible cars, including some of the most famous American classics.”

After returning to the UK, Mike began a new challenge, launching Wheeler Dealers World Tour, a global adventure to buy, fix up and sell some of the world’s most iconic cars – from a Ferrari 348 to a Holden surf wagon in Australia. World Tour has seen Mike and his co-star mechanic, Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley, travel to destinations across North America, Latin America, South America and Europe, searching for cars that locals love and which the pair have long dreamed of fixing – including a Mini Moke discovered in Portugal, just like the one Mike drove on his wedding day!

NUTS AND BOLTS

The show sees Mike explore the car culture of each country, meeting incredible characters, visiting amazing events and tapping into local expertise. Mike said: “World Tour has been a wonderful experience and a huge success – we’ve had more than 200 millon viewers for the show on Discovery. I’ve just written another 20 episodes while also developing for the Japanese market too.”
Mike’s passion for motoring began in his early years, watching his father customising vehicles, and while he’s now well-known for his exploits on TV – shows he has appeared on include Driven, Deals on Wheels, Pulling Power and Revved Up – Mike has never lost his love for the ’nuts and bolts’ of real-life wheeler dealing. With that in mind, he launched the One Automotive used cars business in 2022 in Heathcote Way, Leamington.

Mike explained: “Despite all my TV work, my wife Michelle has always pushed me to go back to the car business and with One Automotive we have done just that. We have a staff of 10 people and we study the car market very closely and create our own niches which makes us unique. The business and the people who work in it make me incredibly proud.”
Looking back now on his Wheeler Dealers journey, Mike said: “If someone would of told me at the beginning what it would grow into, I’d have been blown away. I really have loved every minute.” And you can be sure there’s plenty more wheeler dealing to come, with new series due on our TV screens very soon!