Car Chat

Paul Woodman, the founder of Lovecars, an automotive media powerhouse, sits down with me to share his journey from the company's inception to its current success, including producing the series "On The Road," now streaming on Amazon Prime. We delve into the origins of his passion for cars, the challenges and triumphs of bringing automotive stories to life on screen, and the memorable experiences of filming across the globe. Join us as Paul opens up about his favorite cars, the excitement of racing, and navigating the complex world of social media, all while building a brand that resonates with car enthusiasts everywhere.

Watch the video ep here:

https://lovecars.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lovecars/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

5:35 - Early success of Lovecars

11:53 - Opportunity vs revenue

19:20 - Ideal audience

22:38 - Starting a TV series

33:30 - Lovecars On The Road

45:45 - TV highlights

49:44 - Filming in America vs UK

53:23 - Top 3 Cars Driven

55:49 - Caterham racing and sponsorship

1:01:33 - F1 chat

1:06:00 - Drag racing

1:10:49 - Social media woes

1:16:08 - 5 questions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's always great to catch up with Iain Litchfield, founder of Litchfield Motors. Litchfield Motors started off importing JDM cars (listen to our first podcast here) We have a catchup and discuss the GT-R world of today, tuning cars, the expansion of Litchfield, dampers and a whole lot more.

https://www.litchfieldmotors.com/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

5:01 - Litchfield and GTRs

10:57 - In-house parts

13:46 - Current demand

19:17 - Working on Porsches

26:33 - New M cars

28:58 - GT3 Touring and GT4

34:03 - Custom dampers

36:33 - 992 Tuning

40:24 - Hybrids, EVs, and synthetic fuel

46:51 - GT3RS

58:37 - Jethro’s 996

1:06:48 - 5 Questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Tolman is the founder of Tolman Engineering. Chris has an extensive background in rallying and running race teams and has brought this knowledge into his Peugeot 205 Tolman Editions. From running the McLaren driver development cars to Bentley GT3s, there is a wealth of knowledge.

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Tolman, the founder behind Tolman Engineering, to explore the thrilling world of motorsport engineering and team management. From the foundational connections in rally racing to the intricate details of running a race team, Chris shares his invaluable experiences and the skills required to excel in this high-octane environment.

Dive into the heart of racing as we discuss the challenges and triumphs of managing the McLaren Driver Development Program, and what it takes to race a McLaren at the highest levels. Chris also sheds light on his diverse experience with racing Genettas, Bentleys, rally cars, and more, revealing the critical differences between road car and race car engineering.

At the 28:39 mark, get an exclusive look into "The Tolman 205" project, followed by a discussion on keeping racing ventures economical without compromising on performance. Chris emphasizes the importance of the customer experience in motorsport and outlines the ambitious goals of the Evo project.

Wrapping up the episode, we have the 5 questions.

Enjoy,

Sam

https://tolmanengineering.co.uk/

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

4:32 - Connections in rally

6:05 - Skills building on a race team

8:19 - Running the Mclaren Driver Development Program

17:33 - Challenges of racing a Mclaren

19:26 - Running Genettas, Bentleys, rally cars etc

26:21 - Difference between road car and race car engineering

28:39 - The 205

42:55 - Keeping it economical

48:14 - Customer experience

52:55 - The goal of the Evo

1:04:41 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mick Pacey has been in the business of special air cooled Porsches for 25 years. His knowledge of these cars is truly exceptional. I met up with Mick at Export 56 to have a look round their place, see some of the amazing cars they look after and have a chat about Mick's journey and Porsches.

https://www.export56.com/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

5:28 - Buying and restoring Porsches

22:17 - Finding the parts

30:35 - Price range

41:23 - Finding what the customer wants

48:29 - Building the history and databases

1:08:34 - Getting nerdy

1:14:18 - Working with Shell

1:22:23 - FIA certification

1:31:25 - Racecar restoration journey

1:40:37 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Luke of "Cars With Luke" joins me for a catchup. Luke is a content creator based predominantly in the Swiss Alps creating content with a whole host of cool cars. We discuss Luke's creative journey, balancing photography and videography, the Rimac, Luke's cars, Manual vs PDK, GT3s and Porsches along with some of the creative challenges and copyright issues Luke has has to deal with.

You can check out our previous episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/cars-with-luke-youtuber-and-photographer/id1432553826?i=1000522028416

https://www.youtube.com/@carswithluke

https://www.instagram.com/carswithluke/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro

03:29 - Client work

05:26 - Recent drives

09:45 - Garage update

18:13 - 991 vs 992 GT3

25:59 - Content creator downsides

28:25 - 991RS mods

30:55 - Cinematic shorts and copyright

44:25 - Sam’s 911

46:51 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Fenna is the founder of Frontline Cars, a specialist in MGBs.

Frontline was founded by Tim in 1991, with a personal remit to enhance the driving experience of classic MG Cars. Tim followed his father’s footsteps as an engineer and used his inherent skill and interest in motorsport to design and develop new ground-breaking core components for the MGB, Midget and Sprite. Today, almost 150 restorations have been delivered under the Frontline name, with Tim’s upgrades at the heart of each and every commission. His constant pursuit of perfection enables each Frontline car to be better than the last.

https://www.frontline-cars.co.uk/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro

01:52 - Frontline Cars

07:03 - How to restomod an MGB

13:54 - Typical customer

18:27 - Service offering

35:57 - EV MGB

43:09 - Non - V8s

44:17 - The full process

49:40 - Connecting to cars

53:25 - Australian partners

55:27 - Attracting a younger audience

57:57 - Adding value and resale

1:08:02 - Custom features

1:09:30 - Covid-19

1:14:11 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this thrilling episode, we sit down with the renowned Max Girardo of Girardo & Co for an in-depth conversation covering the exciting world of racing, competition cars, and the latest developments in exotic automobiles.

https://girardo.com/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro/ what’s new?

10:26 - Special editions

14:13 - The future of values

18:51 - Selling competition cars

24:34 - The ticket to invitations

30:29 - Max’s road cars

32:47 - Target market

44:54 - Racing the N24

49:07 - 2.7 RS

53:41 - The ultimate 4 seater

57:42 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we have a thrilling conversation with Tom Jaconelli of Romans International, one of the most prestigious names in the luxury car industry. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of supercars and hypercars, exploring what's been happening and the current state of the market.

https://www.romansinternational.com/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro

02:08 - What’s new?

05:04 - Buyer behaviour

06:55 - Current market

12:05 - Hot buys

15:45 - Exporting to the US

17:39 - Importing and reliability

21:27 - GT3 movements

27:40 - Ferrari’s

33:16 - Value hunting

39:49 - SUVs, hybrids, and EVs

43:52 - Future plans

47:57 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merlin McCormack joins me on the podcast again from Duke Of London to talk about his amazing Testarossa, some ongoing fun project cars and the upcoming move (and spec out) of the next location for Duke Of London. It's always great to chat to Merlin and see what he's been up to.

https://www.dukeoflondon.co.uk/

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro

02:20 - New space

08:29 - Merlin’s day-to-day

11:50 - More plans

16:30 - Challenges of fitting out a car park

20:34 - Expansion plans

24:02 - Merlin’s garage

36:45 - Market trends

42:22 - Dream project car

51:10 - 5 questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I join David Lane (@osheautomotive) at the new workshop and base for Oshe Automotive and Workshop Seventy7 for a catchup. We discuss the last few years, picking project cars and some of the lovely builds David has done.

Enjoy,

Sam

Show Notes:

00:00 - Intro

03:13 - How to pick project cars

05:06 - The Oshe Difference

10:33 - DIY vs Commercial builds

13:17 - The custom process

17:53 - Defender mods

28:11 - Engines and power for dailys

33:26 - Sustainable interiors

41:13 - New building

52:32 - 5 Questions 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices