3 On The Column

Send us Fan Mail We welcome Darren Mitcham from the Gay Classic Car Group GCCG, who joins us this evening. Darren tells us that this is the first time GCCG have ever been asked to do a podcast  (Wow, a 3 On The Column podcast exclusive! ) What Darren doesn't yet know, though, is that we are going to invite them on again. Part of the fun of these podcasts is finding out about our guests, their...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, who knew Mr. Ed, the talking horse, was sponsored by Studebaker?  Let's welcome back Mike Renault and reflect on Studebaker’s innovations, including early hill-holder technology and the longevity of the Avanti.  We move onto the quirky appeal of the Nash Metropolitan, and other British-built cars sold in America.  Lastly, we indulge in some nostalgia for the cars on 70&a...

Send us Fan Mail In September 2025, I called Andrew one evening and said, "Fancy doing a podcast with me?"  Surprisingly, he immediately agreed and, a year on, we've reached our 52nd episode!   We'd like to say a very special thank you to all our podcast guests from the last 51 episodes and to our very many listeners too, who are not just in the UK but spread across the world....

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a long, straight road, devoid of traffic, with free fuel that never runs out?  An impossible scenario? Well, actually, it is a reality, right here and now. The Cambridge University Eco Racing team have made it happen. Our thanks to Emelia and Joe (also known as Mr Guest) for joining us today to share their incredible story of Helia, the 2019 World Solar Challenge race car...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, The video podcast is here. Where the car is the star: for our 50th episode of the 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast, we meet the XJS Club on a video  podcast, recorded live from the 'Jaguars at Gaydon' day. On the commanding bank overlooking the British Motor Museum car park, the largest collection of Jaguar XJS cars I have ever seen has come together, as the XJS...

Send us Fan Mail Where the car is the star: for our 50th episode of the 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast, we meet the XJS Club podcast, recorded live from the 'Jaguars at Gaydon' day. On the commanding bank overlooking the British Motor Museum car park, the largest collection of Jaguar XJS cars I have ever seen has come together, as the XJS Club, to celebrate these fantastic cars. Her...

Send us Fan Mail Where the car is the star: for our 50th episode of the 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast, we meet the XJS Club podcast, recorded live from the 'Jaguars at Gaydon' day. On the commanding bank overlooking the British Motor Museum car park, the largest collection of Jaguar XJS cars I have ever seen has come together, as the XJS Club, to celebrate these fantastic cars. Her...

Send us Fan Mail Following some of our listeners getting in touch with us to ask if it's possible to do an electric conversion on any classic car, Tim, our earlier guest with the electric TVR, re-joins us to help answer this, and talks us through other considerations, such as:  Is an electric conversion easy to do as a DIY project?  What are the potential pitfalls? How do you choose what mode...

Send us Fan Mail Andrew and I might think we are 'bright (young!) sparks' when it comes to knowing about cars but, clearly, we are not nearly as bright, or as much of a live wire(!) as Tim Aylen, founder of Chargeheads, the YouTube channel and Car Club. Tim has taken an unloved TVR 350i and brought it back from near death, with an electric heart transplant. Tim is a Petrolhead, as well a...

Send us Fan Mail If you've just listened to our podcast on the story of the Lotus Carlton, you may well be feeling inspired to buy one and the good news is that, in this podcast, Paul re-joins us to give us some pointers on finding the right car, what to look for and more importantly, what to run away from. These can be good cars to buy and as the values are high and rising; the opportunity i...

Send us Fan Mail The Lotus Carlton is a legend. The press called for it to be banned and the matter was soon raised in Parliament: here was a 176mph Vauxhall family saloon that would outrun the fastest police cars of the time.  How could anyone drive it safely in a country where the speed limit was only 70 mph? Joining us today is Paul Reece from the Lotus Carlton and Omega Enthusiasts Club, who b...

Send us Fan Mail We are joined today by Peter, who is the owner of one of the most glamorous and exotic motoring icons of the 1960's, the Iso Grifo. Peter shares his exciting Iso journey so far: how he decided which Italian exotic to buy, finding the best example available and the work involved in making it the car it is today. Who might have been the original owner of Peter's Iso? Could...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the RAF Bottisham Classic Car Show, 3 On The Column gets to meet Tony Brown who is the proud owner of a 1944 Bedford QL 4x4 Military Vehicle. This particular vehicle was used by the RAF as a support vehicle and was part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Tony tells us what it is like to be the custodian of one of these vehicles and reflects on what these vehicles mean...

Send us Fan Mail When you want an Austin A30 with an element of surprise fit for the modern world, Michael from MD Motorsport may just have the answer. This car doesn't just look cool, it is cool.  With a fast Ford heart transplant, Mazda 6-speed gearbox and the handling to match, it's not just a modified classic, it's a performance car in its own right. Cars like this take the conc...

Send us Fan Mail 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast revisits the 1930s with Steve Sparks, the proud custodian of a 1933 Morris 10-4.  We hear not just about this amazing car and how to drive it, but also of the period car accessories that enable you to enjoy Morris ownership fully, like the car exhaust driven vacuum cleaner for your mattress, pillows and upholstery that actually works! Or the &qu...

Send us Fan Mail Here is our second episode with Mike Steiner, who shares the story of the buying decisions that led to his car collection, how he found his dream Pininfarina Azzura, what you need to look out for and the 3D printing of rare classic car parts. "Beware of the Lawn Ornament" Download now to hear the full story and don't forget to like and subscribe. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail From an Austin Healey to a Pininfarina Azzurra... Mike's first car, at age 15, was a Chevrolet Blazer followed by a Grand Torino in the full Starsky and Hutch style. In this episode, we compare USA and UK car cultures and the huge differences in the scale of teenagers' first cars! And what if your PE teacher gave you driving lessons, as part of the school curriculum? Lis...

Send us Fan Mail Dan has been after an XR4i for some time and recently bought a nice, honest car. This XR4i has certainly provided plenty of material for the Dan Ferrari Ford You Tube Channel. Lots of oil leaks, cold start problems, warm start problems, exhaust problems and headlining problems, but Dan is on the case because he just loves this car.  It is just so capable and so special, as only an...

Send us Fan Mail Danny Finnigan, from the Dan Ferrari Ford You Tube channel and the XR Owners Club, takes us through the process of finding a good Ford Escort, how to avoid buying a disaster and explains why sometimes buying a car that needs work might be a better choice. Meanwhile, Andrew reflects on some of the Limited Editions from the Escort range and weighs up their appeal against better know...

Send us Fan Mail An extra cut from the DS buyers guide podcast. We discuss with Nigel, The Citroen DS as a Movie stunt car and British Navy 2CV.  pick ups at the bottom of the sea and more. Have you considered a Bijou? Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In the first of our classic car buying guide series, we are delighted to welcome back our friend, Nigel Wild, chairman of the Citroen Car Club.  So what is the secret to buying a good Citroen DS that will give you joy, not heartache? What are they like to drive? What should you expect to pay and what sort of owner should you buy from? Nigel shares his lifelong Citroen experience a...

Send us Fan Mail The Queen of all Maestros, Montegos and Metros and Queen of Cowley herself, Tanya Field, joins the Three On The Column Classic Car Podcast in this episode to discuss a lifelong love affair with the cars of Cowley. We discuss how the affection for these cars has changed over the decades,  from watching the salesman's despair at being given a lowly Clubman Diesel Maestro in the...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the first part of our special podcast recorded live at the 50th Anniversary of the Morris Minor Owners Club at Eastwood Hall. With over 600 Morris Minors in attendance, our Morris Minor journey starts here. First, we meet Simon, the club treasurer, and learn what makes the Morris Minor a national treasure, why you need one in your life and, of course, find out about the...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 we hear more from Andrew, the club chair, and learn of the many club  chapters so that whatever Minor appeals to you, within the MMOC umbrella, there's a like minded group of speciality Minor owners.  What are people's favourite Minor Mods?  'A' series engines from the later 1275 cc Marinas fit in Minors quite nicely, reflecting the period modificatio...

Send us Fan Mail For Part 3, we move to the Ex Police Panda Chapter to meet Emily, who is registrar for the chapter.   Emily's own Ex Met Police Morris Minor Panda has been in her family for a long time and when she was given the opportunity to drive it, she knew she had to become its next custodian. Emily has done extensive research on these vehicles and tells us their story. Support the sho...