Jesse Billington sat down with master mechanic Ant Anstead at the show to talk all things classics and upcoming projects
*After spotting the Haynes Manual for my Midget on the desk* AA: It’s nice to see someone still rolling around with a Haynes manual. I wrote the last one of those, Building a Special, which detailed the Tipo build. It had a nice circularity to it – the first manual by John Haynes was on building a Special based on the Austin 7.
CCW: The Tipo project was the one that formed Master Mechanic?
AA: Yes, it happened at the right time that project. We did it in a short span with a small crew left over from the prior season’s Wheeler Dealers. It was really good fun to make and a fantastic piece of TV.
CCW: Speaking of television work can we ask about that Top Gear audition process and the Mercedes crash?
AA: Yeah, it was a C63 AMG, the estate version. I was being a bit too cocky on camera and lost it on the only section of track where there’s something to hit.
CCW: Did that change how you approached TV work?
AA: Not at all, just a steer away from crashing! CCW: What drew you to older cars over modern cars? AA: That was something that started way before TV. My first ever car was an MG Midget, a 1500 in
Vermillion orange called Bridget. I’ve owned more classic cars than any of my friends. I’m not overly into modern cars.
CCW: How was it you ended up enamoured with cars? Was there a family sta
