Not many documentary series can boast 15 seasons, spanning from 2008 to now, yet the show Chasing Classic Cars has been able to keep watchers intrigued and tuned in.
What is it that makes this show so successful and long lasting? First off, who doesn't like to watch folks discover long forgotten treasure?
Having the show on the Discovery Velocity channel is a stroke of genius. Viewers can gather a sense of what type of show to expect due to the channel name alone. Of course, it takes more than just an aptly named channel and catchy show title to make a hit. To achieve this level of success it takes interesting people and fascinating scenarios. Let's not forget about the other key attributes of a successful program such as good editing, great film crews and details such as the filming of each episode in HD.
One other item to consider is, how do all these automobile treasures remain hidden for so many years? It's quite remarkable that folks continue to come across these rusty gems. Fortunately for the show, its popularity is creating the situation of when someone comes across an old car that may be valuable, they frequently reach out to Wayne Carini, then the adventure begins. How cool is that?
Wayne Carini - The Driving Force
Wayne Carini is ultimately the driving force behind much of the success for the series Chasing Classic Cars. Just look at him, he couldn't be a better cast if this were a Hollywood produced fictional drama. He looks the character of someone who would really know classic cars inside and out. With 152 episodes under his belt, Wayne by far has the most screen time. Through the years Wayne has accumulated so much automobile knowledge and has been able to readily share that information with audiences in a manner that's easily digestible, even for the most novice gear head.
If you watch an episode or two, you'll pick up on it that Wayne is pretty much a no-nonsense kind of guy. Other folks on the set, including the seller, appear to feed off his excitement during the discovery of a rare find. The sincerity he brings to the table is what's needed to make the car deals required for this kind of show. Are the deals always equal to both parties involved? The answer is probably no, but this too adds to the appeal of the show.
Roger Barr
Roger has an even longer history of working on cars than Wayne Carini. Roger's car expertise added yet another level of authority to the show Chasing Classic Cars. Talking about having the best of the best for cast mates! Roger's easy-going demeanor was a good balance to Wayne's more serious approach to things. Did Roger and Wayne agree on every decision made, most likely not but that's OK. The respect Wayne had for Roger and his automotive knowledge was obvious. Though no longer on the show due to health reasons, Roger is still alive and kicking.
Jim Astrausky The Man Behind The Scenes
Although not in front of the camera as often as others involved with the series, Jim Astrausky had a big hand in the success of the show Chasing Classic Car. He directed a number of episodes and created around 120 episodes, which is roughly two thirds of all the episodes. Regardless of the show's success, Jim was able to keep the documentary-like quality of the show. In other words, the show didn't become outrageous or too farfetched. It's likely there were some challenges in certain episodes that were resolved so easily you might question the reality of it all, but heck, an episode can only be so long. Unfortunately for the documentary and car enthusiasts everywhere, Jim succumbed to cancer in 2017. It was his work that set the stage for the continuing success and increased ratings.
The number of outlets in which the show Chasing Classic Cars can be viewed on is simply amazing. Hulu, fubu TV, YouTube, Philo and Amazon Prime are all channels that provide access to the series. Should you have a subscription to Motortrend, watching Chasing Classic Car episodes is an option. With all these different means of accessing the program it's no wonder the popularity of the series has increased.