Wheeler Dealers host refused to buy classic car after flying two hours to secure vehicle

Mike Brewer found the Peugeot after refusing to buy another classic (Image: TikTok / mikebrewerofficial)

Wheeler Dealers’ presenter Mike Brewer once turned down buying a classic cardespite travelling hours to purchase the model.

Mike had flown out to Portugal to finalise a deal and bring home a historic model to restore as part of the latest Wheeler Dealers TV series.

However, the host quickly realised the vehicle "wasn’t right" and opted against agreeing terms.

But, in a stroke of luck, Mike ran into a Peugeot 405 Mi-16 on the same trip and struck a deal.

According to co-host Marc Priestley, the model ended up being a "real star" of the series, despite its last-minute inclusion.

Mike purchased something different on the trip (Image: X / @MikeBrewer)

Previously speaking to Express.co.uk, Marc explained: "Of course, like anything else, we often just see a car by the side of the road with a big for sale sticker on it.

“We’ve actually gone to look at one car and ended up buying something completely different.

"It happened in this very show. Mike went down to Portugal to look at a particular car. It wasn’t right for us.

"But there was another car that ended up being like a real star of one of these episodes. Like anyone out there, it’s not all just pre-planned and thought out in advance.

"Sometimes you think on the fly. You see something and it just works."

The Peugeot 405 Mi-16 was manufactured between 1988 and 1996, with the four-door saloon a recognisable French classic.

The model is fitted with 158bhp and a five-speed manual transmission, reaching a top speed of 137mph.

After a deal had been agreed, Marc flew out to a garage in Porto to begin work putting the classic machine back together.

At first, Wheeler Dealers' production crew didn’t have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the car on public roads to give it a spin.

This is because the model had not recently passed a Portuguese MOT and was not considered to be road-legal.

However, the model "passed with flying colours" after engineers spent time working on the car’s tyres, brakes, engine and starter motor.