Spender's Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth's - what happened to them?

[@virgilrytaar9083]

I was an extra in Spender, so was my car at the time (an old Porsche). The car earned more per day than me

[@Raymondoleemotors]

Oh wow absolutely fascinating 👏 I forgot all about Spender! Enjoyed this great information

[@oscarsgarage447]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lot76CARS]

Excellent, thanks for this. I’d almost forgotten how big ‘Spender’ was back in the 90’s. Keep up the good work, love the content!

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks!

[@Jones-xx2gc]

Spender, when the BBC made half decent programmes. I loved that car.

[@oscarsgarage447]

Agreed!

[@benmarshall787]

Great video about Spender , a good programme from a really good actor, singer and star. During furlough i rewatched the series , and it still holds water. The Cosworth was fantastic and a star in its own right! I did a bit of research on Jimmy Nail and found a couple of interesting things that i didn't know about. His Dad briefly played reserve football for my team Huddersfield Town (i say "my" perhaps i should say follow!!). Re your last bit about "Stick's" car sadly the actor (sammy johnson 1998)who played him passed away soon after Spender had finished. Jimmy and the other cast members now hold a Concert each year to raise funds for youth talent in the North East a cause close to Sammys heart, stars from Auf Wiedersehn pet also take part as Sammy was also in that. Thanks for the research, very interesting . Best wishes, Ben .

[@bobfrankish8883]

Brilliant video. I love all this stuff. I'm pretty sure I watched every episode of Spender at the time, it makes you wonder why they screen repeats of absolute crap series all the time and, to my knowledge, series like Spender are completely forgotten now. Anyhow, Happy New Year and keep them coming!

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks!

[@stevenmoran4060]

I bought a full set of dvds’ off eBay that some enterprising soul was providing.

[@craiglessels5384]

One of my all favourite shows Spender

[@roadreview.]

A friend of mine who worked for Ford changed all the glass in G325 WVW for non tinted, as requested by the production company. When it went back after filming, he had the task of swapping it all back over. The car was also featured in a copy of ‘What Car’ magazine. H674 LAR was not supplied by Ford, but was dealer sourced as was K95 BRX, which also made an appearance in Coronation Street ! Great video, cheers 👍🏼

[@andyb3666]

K95BRX was probably supplied by City Ford in Slough. Many early to mid 90s new Fords on TV had Reading area registrations & probably came from them. Heard a story that at the start of filming a new series “WVW” had been valeted & looked too clean, so someone got given the job of taking it round a local quarry to get it looking suitably dusty 😂

[@amphilbey]

Thanks for sharing, loved Spender as a teenager and even the dvd boxset seems rare now and the repeats on Freeview seem to be non-existent. Saw a lovely black Sapphire Cosworth outside Duke of London today in Brentford, great car. There was a hilarious spoof of Spender in the Comic Strip with Phil Cornwell playing 'Spanker' complete with a Sapphire Cosworth scorning the bad driving of the Professionals.

[@clementwoods7177]

Glad someone else remembers ‘Detectives on the edge of a nervous breakdown’, class. ‘Why didn’t you do it my way’.

[@orbtastic]

For years all I could ever find was a VHS rip. Someone upped a really good quality version from the master tapes a while back. No idea why it never got released properly. If you like Spender you should watch a late 80s film called Stormy Monday. Set in Newcastle.

[@amphilbey]

@@orbtastic thank you, will check that out 👍

[@gareththompson538]

Fantastic! Way back in the 90s one of the scenes from Spender was filmed in the village that I grew up in. I remember seeing one of the Sierra Cosworth's parked up nearby but I can't remember which one it was. I was so excited to see it 😂

[@oscarsgarage447]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@iainmackenzie3704]

Great work Oscar. Thanks for the video. Remember the show and the cars well. I also remember seeing an unmarked Cossie cop car chase a speeder in about 90 or 91. 10 year old me took an interest in cars from then on!

[@StephenH-ms9og]

Great video, loved Spender. So glad one of the cars is still about. Hopefully LAR is stored somewhere safely. My H registered 4x4 Cosworth had the lattice wheels. The spoked ones came out on a J/K reg so it is odd that BRX didn't have them. Cant believe Sticks VW is still about. RIP Sammy Johnson.

[@peterbunting8485]

My J reg 4x4 had the lattice alloys. I owned it back in 2005/6. 42,000 miles full ford history and actually had been owned by a Ford dealer in Lincolnshire from a couple of years old. The car was mint. I paid £7,500 in the trade for it! Wish I still had it today. 😭

[@StephenH-ms9og]

There early ones might have had the lattice wheels and square dash binnacle, The later ones had the cross spoke wheels and round binnacle where the speedo is.I know, great cars. Sold mine for an Escort Cosworth which I owned up to 2019.@@peterbunting8485

[@alancobbin]

I was lucky enough to get the complete series on DVD,happy memories 👍

[@royster3345]

How did you manage that it's never been released by the BBC..?

[@oscarsgarage447]

Check out the Spender Facebook group, I think someone was selling them on there.

[@royster3345]

@@oscarsgarage447 Thanks for the heads up, I tried to buy the DVD a couple of years back hence knowing the BBC never officially released it some some strange reason.

[@beltaaaa]

Me, my 3 brothers and my Mam saw the filming of the explosion that killed Frances, Spender’s wife, in December 1992 when my Dad was working for the filming. It was excellent to watch. They had a big remote controlled dummy to open the car door for the explosion but they cut it all out.

[@mikeplayle2969]

Love the video Great Work

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks

[@StrawPerson-xq9ko]

Happy New Year. Great videos. Keep them coming. Really good stuff.

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks, will do!

[@peterbennett4759]

The car was parked up in a garden in a village (Filby)near Gt Yarmouth. It sat under a tarpaulin all that time. A friend of mine knew it was the Spender car and approached the owner for years but he would not sell it. Until one day, the chap called my friend and asked if he would want to buy it. My friend brought it and sold it quite quickly to the present owner.

[@oscarsgarage447]

I think something similar happened to the Minder Capri.

[@lewis72]

I knew and still know the then-owner of (presumably) H674 LAR (maybe it was the K95 BRX car) when it was in Norfolk.

[@CycolacFan]

@@oscarsgarage447 and the Sweeney Consul. The Minder Mk2 Capri is the original one used in the show titles but it has had a lot of restoration and replacement parts.

[@johnholmes6352]

Whereabouts in the country is K95 now?

[@Hairysnid]

​@oscarsgarage447 The Minder Capri was saved from a scrap yard originally. More recently it suffered fire damage but has since been fully restored again.

[@gordimac9]

my late brother in law was a painter and decorator the story he told me him and his mate were working one day when they were asked to stop as they wanted to film a scene nearby sometime after the production team came to see them and asked if they seen anybody drive past in a cossie as someone had just nicked theirs

[@LeeRestoration1275]

best car Jimmy Nail ever drove on TV was in an episode of Minder - Jensen CV8

[@oscarsgarage447]

Now that is a rare car...

[@Padrone5763]

Great video cheers always a fan of the cars & spender .

[@oscarsgarage447]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@urglegurgle5807]

Fourth scenario for first car; it was a Sierra Cosworth. Given popularity for such things at the time, it was just assumed that it was stolen and set on fire. I remember reading an article asking whether the Police Cosworths would not be stolen, the a short while later a police Cossie was taken and set on fire, iirc in Salford.

[@martytdd1606]

EUI 7419 is a Derry N Ireland number plate from 1992. I'm from there, I remember a buddy of mine's dad had a reg similar to this on his 1.6 Cavalier. I'm intrigued now to know owned it then, maybe I even seen it about 😂.

[@oscarsgarage447]

Great info - it might still come to light!

[@Richieaburke]

Concerning the 1st car story where joyriders allegedly burnt it out. Something similar happened to one of the capri’s from the professionals where as bank robbers used it then set it alight but a passing fire engine returning from a bogus 999 call put it out and it still survives to this day in fact they all do.

[@zm321]

Yes and the pair of cars (gold & Silver) have just sold for about £185,000 at auction. Classic Cars mag ran an article on them a couple of months back in their now restored condition.

[@Richieaburke]

@@zm321 there’s more than those 2 if I remember right there’s about 8 or 9 in total. The RS2000 is still about too

[@zm321]

@@Richieaburke I'd have thought there are more than two as well.

[@dungareesareforfools]

​@Richieaburke I thought the RS2000 had been missing since it was stolen during filming and replaced by the gold Capri?

[@Richieaburke]

@@dungareesareforfools no not at all, it changed hand recently. Some people will say it wasn’t nicked but it was (not for long though) because I know who took It. The car was an old model that’s why it was changed for a capri it’s actually an R reg in reality

[@craiglessels5384]

"Its a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, apparently" "Its a beast"

[@davidcannon2464]

Very interesting video Jimmy is almost an anti hero in the series. But a Ways with a good story line. Some interesting facts about te various cars used keep it up guys

[@oscarsgarage447]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@k20aa]

Great Vid That old cossie had been on my door step for years I only live 40 mins away from Yarmouth I wonder how he got it and why he never used it ?

[@AlanChalloner-h7i]

I worked in the Vermont hotel in Newcastle when Jimmy Nail was filming spender. I remember him getting all angry and threaten to sack a crew member over a cosworth or a Porsche car not being there ready for a shoot.

[@zm321]

See my above comment, could have been the same incident?

[@AlanChalloner-h7i]

@@zm321 possibly. The car was very far away and he wanted it that day or heads would roll. Jimmy was a bit of a diva if things didn’t go his way😡

[@zm321]

@@AlanChalloner-h7i That is exactly what I've heard about him too.

[@drexlspivey5828]

​@@AlanChalloner-h7ito be fair I don't think that comes under the diva category, that's a legitimate thing to be angry about

[@alexrobinson2281]

At the time in Newcastle every Saffire Cosworth was stolen , even the Police got one and made it theft proof to catch the thieves , the parked in Grey street one Friday night and an hour later it was gone never to be seen again , lovely place the north east 😂

[@grahamevans3472]

K95BRX , was originally sold by City Ford Slough , the other two were Ford Motor Co vehicles .

[@dj4myparty]

They supplied these from City ford Wimbledon who supplied the bill

[@andyb3666]

City Ford seemed to supply most new Fords on TV right through the 90s & up to the early 00s.

[@NeilWalford]

I think a guy who worked where I did had wvw. I worked for Borg warner and this car was used as a test car, then it was sold by the company and that's when he bought it. Was it burnt out in Wales?

[@beko1987]

Good bloke is Des (LightBulbFun), was a surprise to see good old autoshite get a mention!

[@oscarsgarage447]

I like to give credit where its due.

[@ReelWheelsMediaLtd]

Nicely done

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks!

[@leedavies3629]

Nice one dude ✌️

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks ✌️

[@miked6310]

another fantastic video, thanks! i know the morons posting spoilers in the comments section in previous vids got to you but i hope you carry on with these, they are a great watch👌

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks for the support. More Wheeler Dealers coming soon!

[@petergrinnell2500]

Never heard of seen this program but still found it interesting you must spend alot of time finding these cars which has been on TV as I watch every time you put something on u tube keep up the good work and happy new year

[@zm321]

It was a good programme.

[@drewsimpson5967]

Interesting video. I remember the gadgey with the £10.99 trainers driving the Audi Quattro in an episode. What happened to Jimmy Naill, himself? He just seemed to disappear altogether.

[@leeallen1407]

Jimmy lives in Aberdeen .....with ( and i was shocked by this ) his Boyfriend

[@drewsimpson5967]

@leeallen1407 Crivvens! I'm quite surprised by that as well. I'm in Aberdeen quite often. I'll be keeping an eye oot for him.

[@oscarsgarage447]

No he doesn't, lives in London with his wife Miriam...

[@drewsimpson5967]

@oscarsgarage447 I think that's very auld news.

[@1308wayne]

Great video always liked spender and loved the Sierra cosworths in it to I am glad one is still about and I would think it will be a the ford shows 🤞

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks 👍

[@TrevorByrne-yh1fp]

Great video

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks!

[@maxrockatanksyOG]

I remember watching Spender here in Australia as a kid

[@sicks6six]

I was talking to Jimmy Nail one day in Tynemouth and he was driving a cossy but not one in any of the series, he just came out of the Turks Head pub and was getting into a cossy I'm sure it was moonstone blue/grey. this would have been about 1993-4 I reckon, so I doubt he owned any of the cars in the TV series, he wasn't a rich man back then, he was still gigging with his band THE KING CRABS to audiences of 50 in pubs,

[@Vintagetv2005]

Could you try to find the chip van form the van

[@kevinmarshall8590]

Remember seeing Jimmy filming in a cosworth at the top of walker road when i was a kid, if i had to put my money on it to win it i would go grey

[@dmode2793]

'An' orange... 'Oscar's' garage. Those points aside, an interesting upload. Thanks.

[@oscarsgarage447]

I am a grammer police dream :-) Glad you enjoyed it

[@integralevideo]

What about the car driven by Spanker an the comedy version? It's plate was from a ford lorry.

[@DanielGreen-y8e]

Rear panel gromets have been painted over and should have an arial in that wing

[@chrisclarke7828]

I sold mine before l left the UK, Burgundy 4wd, all leather, vectra, it was a dream to get and buy but I bought it late and never enjoyed it. 28 grand.

[@b10xtn]

It occasionally pops up on uk tv gold from time to time over the years. It’s not bad tbf.

[@mick0846]

This is what got me into cosworths I prefer them to the hatchbacks

[@cliffordpedley3216]

Hi I used to love watching spender I have got one of the corgi cosworth car I have had it for years in the box so I don't know if that will be worth anything I used to have a ford Sierra xr4 I had it for 6 years and I loved it it was so nice to drive but I was just trying to see if I could find the tv series because I'm from the North and I think Jimmy nail was good actor I love the series and have not seen it for years and I think you are doing a good job I have a mondeo but that is not the same

[@aitchworld4620]

My dad had an Austin Maxi with the reg JTU483L

[@chicharito229]

Spender's car was amazing.....ain't no doubt! 😂

[@oscarsgarage447]

Well played!

[@theimbiber]

Lovin that radiator

[@oscarsgarage447]

So do I, might give it a series of its own...

[@garyfallows1123]

Great video, watched all the Spender episodes it was a good series, always wonder what happens to TV cars when production is finished, any information on the MK1 Granada from The Sweeny or the xj6 coupe with the bodykit that Patrick Macnee used as John Steed in The New Avengers

[@mej6519]

steeds broadspeed xj6 coupe. The 1976 XJ12-C Broadspeed driven by John Steed - played by the late Patrick Macnee - sold for £62,000 at H&H Classics’ auction 2012. and is now in a private collection.

[@garyfallows1123]

@@mej6519 thanks for the info, glad to know it's still around

[@mej6519]

@@garyfallows1123 last i heard it was awaiting a full restoration, as it was found in a ropey condition to say the least. just hope its new owners do it justice.

[@garyfallows1123]

@@mej6519 I can imagine the steel used in the 70's was shit and pretty much all cars of that era were rusting before they came off the production line 🤣

[@mej6519]

@@garyfallows1123 go check "business live" article "jaguar xj coupe new avengers". (tried to post link but seems its has been removed).

[@jeremywentworth1833]

What no mention of the last episode think it was possibly a special but after K95 BRX exploding-accident Spender had a Mercedes 190 2.5 Cosworth .

[@oscarsgarage447]

Well I did title it 'Cosworths...' Amazingly that Mercedes does still exists, I answered another commenter on it.

[@waynemorris4823]

Another great video again mate! Loved the Spender TV series. Happy new year buddy 🎉🍺

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks for the continued support

[@dj4myparty]

A mate worked on this show i will ask BRX was used on the Bill as well

[@oscarsgarage447]

We love any info like that - had reports it was in Coronation Street

[@chrismitchell9114]

You’re wrong with BRX. It’s a facelifted 92 model year car so it uses the correct wheels. The lattice wheels got replaced part of the 92 model year.

[@oscarsgarage447]

I'll have to go with you on that, I was merely reporting the multiple comments I had found about them being wrong.

[@chrismitchell9114]

@@oscarsgarage447 yeah 88-90 2wd had lattice wheels and coloured lights etc and a dash with black binnacle, centre console etc. “90” spec was a facelift that meant dash and centre console all matched etc and dark rear lights etc again with lattice wheels. 92 model year facelift had new wheels commonly know as shark tooth. But Ford’s computer refers to them as crown wheels a new look dash and other spec improvements.

[@Chopchop07]

Didn't he have a blue BMW 5 series at some point.. I seem to remember that from somewhere

[@oscarsgarage447]

There was a Merc (details in another comment), not sure about a BMW though.

[@leegr3732]

In 1998 I lived near Salisbury and worked in the armed forces, at the time I was looking for my first Cosworth, I had viewed many, all rubbish, a very nice white one appeared, I remember the ad saying it was original etc with 48k miles so went to look, was an odd car, had wooden door parts that should have been cloth and just didn’t feel like a 48k car, so had the RAC check it over, they told me to run 😂, was a complete wreck, now somewhere I must have the HPI report as I throw nothing away, the car was a G plate, RWD sapph, White, G325 WVW, remember it like it was yesterday, I ended up buying a crystal blue one which is still around today.

[@nordic1121]

I really enjoy your content wether it’s wheeler dealer’s cars or the lotus Carlton story or this one , thanks for sharing it with us.

[@oscarsgarage447]

Glad you like them!

[@gerrybell2554]

Did spender not drive a merc near the end of the show I think it was the episode when they went to France

[@oscarsgarage447]

Correct. It was a Xmas special.

[@briangreen6602]

Bit unrelated, but the BBC/Comic Strip did a one-off parody of all the British cop shows over the year, called Detectives On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which included the then still current, Spender. The character was called Spanker and had a Sapphire Cosworth in Moonstone , chasing parody characters from The Sweeney , The Professionals and Department S ( remember that anyone ? ) . The plate comes back as a DAF van, so presumably change by the production team. See the episode here. Car can be seen from 4.00 in and then 23.35. kzbin.info/www/bejne/baCUk3iPn9BlgZosi=vAlSPrbkMEAEvL2O

[@0795omega]

loved spender,but what i allways thought hilarious is how the police in newcastle gave him a brand new cosworth as his car,which i think at the time was the most stolen car in the u.k.!

[@leebouttell537]

If I remember the episode they filmed at teesside steelworks the cosworth got stolen from the film set buy the local lads

[@lukesmith2245]

love the vid

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks!

[@articeddie5494]

New V5 can also be from a change of address 👍🏻

[@oscarsgarage447]

It can, but mycarcheck filters those out (I've just changed the colour on a bike with DVLA and it now has that date as last V5, but I have owned it 3 years)

[@R1chardB1ngham]

I'm even happier that the Beetle survives than the Cosworth!

[@andyrides9666]

Didn't he briefly drive a Subaru Impreza as well? Or am I thinking of a different program from that era? A UK 2000 turbo car.

[@fatwalletboy2]

Liverpool 1. Callys car. A 1998 Classic 2000 in green which wouldnt have been around when Spender ended.

[@oscarsgarage447]

In the very final episode (a Xmas special) he drove a Mercedes.

[@andyrides9666]

cheers 👍@@fatwalletboy2

[@kofib3]

Honestly that Corgi model of the Cosworth was Ghastly. The colour was nowhere near like the car in the series.. Why oh why did Corgi get it so wrong. Great to see K95 BRX restored, was my favourite cossie in the series.

[@oscarsgarage447]

Agree, it was horrible...

[@danieleaton1399]

Great video I never watched spender but great information, would love to know where the Jag and other cars from bread ended their days

[@oscarsgarage447]

I'll add it to the list...

[@Roachie1982uk]

I run the spender fan group on facebook 😎

[@oscarsgarage447]

Hope you like what I have done?

[@Roachie1982uk]

@@oscarsgarage447 yes mate its me with the frost group too ❤️😎

[@johnholmes6352]

What’s the link?

[@Roachie1982uk]

@@johnholmes6352 just type in spender fan group and it will pop up m8

[@ap5824]

I can see "what happened to the TV cars" being a big hit with Oscars Garage .....

[@oscarsgarage447]

Thanks - its exceeded our expectations so far!

[@TheAsa1972]

It got nicked by the lads from Meadowell same as the Police Cossie from the Police station

[@indigohammer5732]

“She’s left us man..........”

[@dspencer8827]

I thought it was nicholas cage for a moment

[@oscarsgarage447]

LOL - I see where you are coming from!

[@KnightRider46]

I had a genuine low mileage late 1990 4x4 Saff Cosworth and it also had the early style alloys I knew the original owner from the day he bought it and it was how it came from the factory I enjoyed this ❤ How about the Saab turbos from the series the paradise club? Or maybe Victor Meldrews many cars? Bet his Rover is still about

[@oscarsgarage447]

Meldrews car is on the list. I cannot believe it! :-)

[@KnightRider46]

@@oscarsgarage447 😅😂😇

[@stuhollyhead4294]

Have u ever watched flipping bangers if so would u track some of those low budget builds..

[@oscarsgarage447]

I have seen it, but wonder if its too recent for the cars to have much of a story. One of the guys working on the programme behind the scenes was Paul from Wheeler Dealers!

[@stuhollyhead4294]

@oscarsgarage447 oh yeah that's a good point maybe it is a bit early.. but I didn't know about Paul from wheeler dealers, do u think its 100% or doctored a bit like wheeler dealers..

[@TheWacoKid1963]

RIP Sammy Johnson aka Stick, taken far too soon

[@StuartOliver83]

WTF I know Dan I know the car he’s pretty much rebuilt it from scratch he’s a top bloke and perfect owner for the car

[@novoice8076]

I know the person who now Owns the car to date

[@oscarsgarage447]

Which one?

[@karlmurray4479]

They were made into….🎵Crocodile shoooes🎵

[@oscarsgarage447]

LOL

[@philtowle4683]

I am not a keyboard warrior, but if I was I wouldn't be convinced by the my car check screen shot as it doesn't relate to a particular car😂

[@oscarsgarage447]

Is see your point, but if I was to show the whole report you would need a magnifying glass to read it! It only shows the plates in that section when there has been a change - as shown in the 40RA video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZnRi2qsgNp9oKc

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

Pretty sure there must be replicas of these cars being made for filming scenes that involve car crashes. You can't afford to destroy the Sierra Cossies bcoz they're not produced in millions like those plain vanilla Sierras.

[@oscarsgarage447]

The exploding car was a replica. But back then Cosworths weren't worth what they are now.

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

@@oscarsgarage447 Probably no one would expect these Sierras have potentials to become collector's items. Not sure if they are considered sleeper cars: looks fairly unassuming from the outside, but also hides very high-powered engines underneath the bonnets.

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

@@oscarsgarage447 Back then, petrolheads were more obsessed with the mythical Lotus-tuned Carlton Omega which was more head-turning and becoming madly infamous for its sheer acceleration and being very desirable for car thieves.

[@articeddie5494]

First car could have had a plate change

[@oscarsgarage447]

If it had the record on it would have gone from DVLA - like 40RA car if you reregister it you can't search under the previous plates.

[@raven-wf9so]

Viz 😂

[@jay-nl3gk]

Dont make tv like that anymore

[@martinwhitley9893]

What a boring bloke

[@oscarsgarage447]

We look forward to seeing some of your content to show us how it should be done...

[@NeilWalford]

I think a guy who worked where I did had wvw. I worked for Borg warner and this car was used as a test car, then it was sold by the company and that's when he bought it. Was it burnt out in Wales?

[@NeilWalford]

And was used on trade plates in the interim which may debunk your myth

[@Vintagetv2005]

Could you try to find the chip van form the van