His skills earned him recognition, TV brought fame, people got keenly interested, and the money stacks started piling for Edd China. Born in 1971, the enigmatic English man can be described by many vocations, and they’ll all fit perfectly. Along with TV presenter and co-host Mike Brewer, China fixed up some really weird cars on the Wheeler Dealers on the Discovery Channel.
After thirteen years on the automotive TV show, building some of the coolest cars we’ve ever seen, China quit the Wheeler Dealers in 2017. It’s been a moment of low screen time for him ever since and China’s fans are itching to see him on their screens again. For a man billowing with extreme ideas, the fans’ impatience is understandable. However, while waiting to see him regularly on our screens, here are some facts we dug up about Edd China.
10 Wheeler Dealers
The bulk of Edd China’s fame and public admiration can be directly linked to his role on the British automotive TV series on Discovery Channel called Wheeler Dealers. The show is produced by Attaboy TV for Motor Trend in the U.S. and Discovery Channel in the UK.
China joined the TV show in 2003 as the co-host – along with Mike Brewer – as well as the show’s mechanic with a mission to refurbish old or repairable vehicles and sell them to new owners.
9 Inventions
Inventing anything whatsoever isn’t a mean feat. However, Edd China can be classed as an inventor. His most popular project to date can be traced back to his time as an undergraduate at the London South Bank University. There he met an NGO called Raleigh International – a sustainable development charity organization.
Soon the NGO planned an expedition to Belize. Therefore, as a means of raising funds for the expedition, China created a driving sofa which later became officially known as Casual Lofa.
8 Casual Lofa
The Casual Lofa might have been created while China was still in the university, but the invention never saw limelight until his 1998 live appearance on Top Gear – China drove into the show arena in his Casual Lofa. Also, in 2019, China drove the Casual Lofa to SEMA, drawing huge attention at the annual automotive show.
Notably, the Casual Lofa is road-legal, features a pizza pan steering, leopard-print mock-cushion, a Guinness can as throttle, and has a top speed of 87mph.
7 World Records
China has been recognized for his ingenuity and innovative skills with features on British automotive shows like Pulling Power and Fifth Gear as well as the British daytime TV program, This Morning.
However, the Brit has some world records to his name; these include the Guinness World Record titles for fastest furniture, toilet, and largest motorized trolley. Also, China joined an eBay sponsored challenge in 2012 to build a drag racer from a milk float, which later took the Guinness World Record for the world’s fastest milk float.
6 Stuntman
A special effect technician is often tasked with creating pyrotechnic, visual, and physical effects in movies, TV shows, or live shows. Edd China is a well-versed special effect technician, and he had a hugely successful run as the special effects technician on the British sitcom, Father Ted.
Capitalizing on this success, China started an outlet for his impressive creation in 1999 and called it the Cummfy Banana Limited. He was interviewed on the Pulling Power and This Morning about vehicles made through Cummfy Banana.
5 Garage Revival
After leaving Wheeler Dealers, China complained about how the show’s new direction wasn’t something he was comfortable with. He also said the organizers were asking him to cut corners which will, in turn, compromise his work quality and erode his integrity.
Hence, in 2018, the TV star launched a new show called “Edd China’s Garage Revival,” where he takes trips abroad to meet up with project vehicle owners who have abandoned the build with a plan to help complete it. However, only the pilot has been made.
4 Favorite Car
In an interview with the guys at CTEK (a Swedish battery performance management solution company), China revealed his love for several automobiles. These include some he had worked on, like the Lamborghini Urraco P250S he acquired from the Wheeler Dealers but later sold off, as well as the hundred-year-old Cadillacs from his last season on the show.
Also, China loves Auburn, Cord Phaeton, Bentley, and Duesenberg. However, China’s favorite car of all time is his 22-year-old Casual Lofa, saying it’s responsible for several good things in his life.
3 Best Selling Author
An achievement in his China’s name no one saw coming is being a best-selling author. With ample time in his hands following his resignation, China documented his life from his days as an undergraduate juggling thirty-five car projects while living in a double-decker bus, to when he became a famous TV guy with a road-legal runaround sofa, in an autobiography book called “Grease Junkie: A Book of Moving Parts.”
China became a best-selling author with the release of the hardback edition with the book hitting top UK sales charts.
2 Imogen
Working closely with China on all his projects is his Norway-born wife, Imogen. The couple has a relationship that can be traced back to China’s school days. Notably, China picked Imogen up in the Casual Lofa for their first date.
Also, she's been on several other memorable road trips with China including the one they had from Newport Beach, CA to Tonopah, Nevada for a Wheeler Dealers’ test drive. Imogen is China’s manager, and she’s the director of China’s Cummfy Banana Limited.
1 Next Project
Being at Wheeler Dealers meant China could only build cars - though that seems to be his favorite thing to do. However, his resignation means he could do several other things – like writing a book – while still building cars.
Also, China has revealed that he’s negotiating with TV networks but waiting for “the right kind of funding” for his next project. Notably, China is currently working on building an amphibious upgraded version of the Casual Lofa and a kit that turns ice cream vans into EVs, among other things.