Wheeler Dealers hosts Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley thought news their classic Ford Fiesta Mk1 had been stolen was a prank before being left “heartbroken”.
The duo had fully restored the iconic model before thieves took the historic vehicle from a trailer parked outside a hotel.
The car was due to be displayed at a gathering of Ford Fiesta owners as a special tribute to the brand.
However, production crews woke to discover the classic car and trailer had both been taken during the night.
As cameramen broke the news to Mike and Marc, they initially thought it was a joke and didn’t believe them.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Marc explained: “What hurt most was on that particular show we finished that car, it was such a massive amount of work, we finished that car a day before we had to take it to this huge meet with 500 other Fiestas with hundreds and hundreds of people turning up.
“We had just got it finished, So it’s perfect. It was in its most perfect state since it rolled out of the factory and it was the very next morning.
“It took the production team, they found it first, it took them half an hour to convince Mike and I that they weren’t just trying to wind us up. It really had gone.
“It was such an unbelievable set of circumstances, totally devastating and heartbroken.”
It is believed only four historic Fiesta Mk1 Fiesta models remain in the UK making the theft even more devastating.
The team spent £4,000 to purchase the model before splashing out more than five figures on bringing the car back to its best.
In total, a staggering £11,200 was spent on repairs with the Fords fitted with new water and oil pumps and a revamped bodywork.
The team also got to work fully repairing the engine with the model in stunning condition before it was taken.
Mike has previously described the stolen Fiesta was “like losing a child”.
He added: “The truth is for me and Elvis this is a bit raw. I can’t think of another Wheeler Dealers car that both of us dedicated so much love, care and attention to.”
