While a lot of people may register British motoring shows with Top Gear, there’s a few out there that have their following and niche. Among these shows, one of the most popular is Wheeler Dealers. The premise of the show involves the presenter finding classic enthusiast vehicles that are cheap and in a repairable position. They’ll then set a particular budget for the repairs, and look to make a profit when selling to a new owner.
Car enthusiast Mike Brewer fronts the program, alongside him former mechanic Edd China and current Ant Anstead have restored plenty of iconic vehicles. However, now and then, the show would take on a fun and unusual car to restore.
Some of these were incredibly rare and genuinely classy finds however, they were still strange. From a surfer van, with a shower to a brilliant hot rod, here are 15 bizarre cars they fixed up on Wheeler Dealers.
15 Ford F1
When you’re talking about Ford trucks, among the most coveted classics are the first-generation of the Ford F-Series. However, the boys typically don’t go for cars that are this old. The F-Series saw production from 1948-1952. Instead of completely rejuvenating the exterior, they left the original paint job with the corroded surface!
14 DeLorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 is an iconic car forever due to its role in the Back to the future movie. It’s a very unusual vehicle from the era given the gull-wing doors. It was a very memorable episode, with the boys relishing in the nostalgia the car brought. The lads managed to earn a £5,000 profit on their work!
13 Caterham 7
Typically, the boys tend to deal with load regal vehicles. In comes a brilliant looking Caterham that’s available for a high price, and the lads bring it the garage. However, restoring the Caterham to prime condition. It’s a salute to the restoration skills of Edd China as the final product was an incredible looking car!
12 Datsun 510
There’s no doubt that the Datsun 150 is an incredibly rare car. During its time, it took America by storm, introducing them to the brilliance of Japanese vehicles. However, this particular Datsun was in an appalling condition when the boys took it on. For some reason, the previous owner had ripped up the seats of the car.
11 Maserati BiTurbo
A Maserati BiTurbo in decent condition is a car that’ll attract any petrolhead towards loosening their wallet. It’s iconic for being the first vehicle to feature two turbos backing up the engine. The boys took the car in a completely different direction transforming it into an electrically powered vehicle. A bit of a strange idea.
10 AMC Pacer
The Pacer is no doubt one of the strangest vehicles ever to see production. It just looks like an uncomfortable vehicle, and the buggy eyes make it look like someone is staring at you. The boys decided to up the weirdness by going for a very unusual vinyl wrap!
9 Panda 4x4
While the modern Panda 4x4 is a decent compact SUV, the classic Panda is a bit of an oddity. At a time when big SUVs were all the rage, it didn’t get a lot of attention despite the quirky appearance. The Wheeler Dealers immediately saw the potential and took its weirdness to a whole other level!
8 Austin Mini
If there’s a car that looks perfect for your grandparents, it’s the Austin Mini. A weird-looking tiny car don’t let its appearance fool you. It’s one of Mike’s favorite vehicles. The small size and skinny tires make it a lot of fun to drive. It’s also a comfortable classic to restore if you’re looking for your first project.
7 Dodge A100
The Dodge A100 is famous for being a vehicle that the hippies and surfers from the 70s would favor. A proper adventure van, the engine of the car had a definite kick, as Mike remarked while driving the retro van. The boys even fit the inside of the van with a shower to make it the ultimate surfer’s vehicle!
6 Camaro
While not being a strange car in general, this restoration project in its entirety was pretty weird. It showcased the cracks in between Mike and Edd’s relationship. Once Mike saw the classic muscle, he was hell-bent on restoring the vehicle, while Edd thought it was too much trouble for what it was worth. Mike overruled his concerns, and Edd had no choice but to work on the project.
5 Darracq
While not one of their restoration projects, the lads brought in the Darracq to commemorate their 100th successful restoration project. While undoubtedly one of the rarest cars in the world, it’s no doubt a strange-looking vehicle. It looks more like a horse carriage than a car. The lads were delighted to get a try at the car.
4 Cadillac Type 13
There’s just something about the design of classic cars that make them stand out significantly. This particular car looks like a cross between a carriage and a beach buggy. However, it’s an iconic car because of it being among the first to feature a production V8 engine. Edd, in particular, saw a lot of joy working on the vehicle.
3 Bond Bug
You’d be forgiven for thinking that nobody in their right minds would buy a car as weird as the Bond Bug. Yet, some of Mike’s decisions often boggle the mind initially. Remarkably, the odd-looking vehicle with its compartment like style has quite a popular following. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s an incredibly strange looking car.
2 Opel GT 1900
Despite being a vehicle that’s known for being notoriously hard to maintain, the Opel GT 1900 is a fantastic looking car. What makes this entry weird is the condition the vehicle was in when Mike made the purchase. There was a lot of damage to the body, and a lot of problems were plaguing the engine!
1 International Harvester Scout 900A
The name makes it evident enough, International Harvester was known for making agricultural vehicles. However, they tried to take on the classic Willy’s Jeep. However, the Scout 900A didn’t have the looks to match up to the decent performance. It’s blatantly apparent when you look at the vehicle that its origins come from the agriculture industry.