Several car shows have come and gone, but when we saw Chasing Classic Cars and the cool vehicles featured on the program, we knew we already have a hit show on our hands. It’s one of the very few automobile programs that have gone on to strike a chord with viewers. The show, which began airing in June 2008, has recorded an astonishing 16 seasons to date.
Notably, the star host of the show is Wayne Carini, an automobile enthusiast who goes around different cities and towns in the United States, hunting for classic cars that are then acquired, restored, and sold at auctions. These hunts have led to the discovery of some of the rarest vehicles we’ve ever seen. Also, the love and genuine interest the host has for these classic beauties is quite obvious, however, a few other things about the Chasing Classic Cars and Carini aren’t widely known, and we’ve listed them here.
10 Youthful Enthusiasm
At 16, Carini became obsessed and started plotting how he’d acquire an automobile he considered his dream car, a certain 1954 Hudson Italia. The mere fact that it took him 38 years to finally possess this vehicle is a testament to the resilience that viewers of the show have become used to.
Classic cars have always appealed to Carini, and the search for his ideal automobile is the inspiration behind the whole series. After his story appeared in the New York Times, the producer of Chasing Classic Cars approached Carini to host the show.
9 Car Fleet
A major attraction to the show is its unique plot, where the host goes around nooks and crannies of the United States hunting for extinct vehicles. Some of the classics that the program's crew has unearthed include the rarely seen 1952 Muntz Jet.
While Carini has proceeded to auction most cars discovered on the show, others have been added to his private collection. His garage includes 25 cars… and still counting. The prized 1948 David Davin and Ford's 1938 pickup are also some of his cars.
8 Another Dream Car
Even though Carini had acquired his dream car, he still has his eyes on the 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB, which he has described as “the ultimate hit.” Since the beginning of the show, Carini has uncovered some real gems in the classic genre; however, he might never be completely fulfilled until he acquires this Ferrari.
Having restored seven of these cars for customers, he is a bit pessimistic about ever getting one for himself due to the hugely expensive cost of acquiring and repairing the car.
7 Barr’s Significance
Ardent followers of the show will have become accustomed to Roger Barr. Barr, one of the show's primary cast, is the brain behind the car restorations at Chasing Classic Cars. A long-time ally of Carini, Barr and the host have known each other since Carini was 10.
They both lived in Glastonbury, Connecticut, where Barr operated his mechanic shop majorly for foreign cars, while Carini's dad ran a local car repair shop. The connection between the two is telepathic.
6 Not All Sales Are Profitable
Sounds unbelievable, but it’s the truth – you don’t get always make a profit in the restoration business. Carini buys classic cars, which are mostly expensive, he then refurbishes them, which costs even more. The idea is to recover the funds during sales and perhaps make a profit.
However, the restoration process sometimes costs more than the budget. Add that to the fact that sometimes very few are willing and rich enough to buy the cars, which sometimes leads to them being sold below a profitable margin.
5 Barr’s Disappearance
Fans of the show became worried when Roger Barr, Carini's mechanic, abruptly stopped appearing on the show. Some speculated that he must have died or wholly withdrawn from the program. Reports later surfaced that he was in the hospital for an injury he sustained during work.
A friend eventually set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds for his hospital bills. Contributions poured in from many viewers of the show, highlighting his popularity. Reports have it that Barr is doing well.
4 Literally Chasing Classics
The best things in life aren’t common. Hence, the Chasing Classic Cars crew sometimes have to go to the remotest of places to find the rarest of cars. This hunt takes them to places they never knew existed and judging from what we saw on the TV, most of the viewers have no clue of these locations as well.
To highlight the importance of these searches, in one of the episodes, a Pierce-Arrow was discovered in a garage that has been closed for at least 50 years.
3 Celebrity Features
Partnering with famous people helps increase popularity, and some of the biggest celebrities in the country have been guests on Chasing Classic Cars. It was a promotional move for the show at the initial stages, which saw the producers invite some of the most prominent names in America.
Ever since then, a star-studded cast has regularly graced the show's set. Some of the top names to have been on the show include Chase Briscoe, Jay Leno, Tim Allen, and Nick Mason.
2 Ratings
Ratings are an essential part of TV shows. In essence, high ratings are pointers to the show's success while low ratings are the opposite. Rated as a 7.5 on Tv.com and a 7.3 on IMDb, Chasing Classic Cars has begun to receive the recognition it deserves.
Given the amount of hard work that goes into making the documentary, it’s no surprise that Chasing Classic Cars has been among Velocity's best shows for years. That also means that the show has come to stay.
1 Owns Other Businesses
Yeah, we all know that Wayne Carini is a car aficionado and a great show host, but many people do not know that apart from hosting the car program, he also owns three businesses and merchandise.
With his popularity skyrocketing, the bearded classic car freak decided to take advantage of his newly found fame; you can get Carini branded t-shirts on his website. Also, he owns the famous F40 Motorsports, along with Carini Carozzeria and Continental Auto Ltd.