Wheeler Dealers Car Stolen: The Real Ford Fiesta Theft Story
Wheeler Dealers co-host Mike Brewer really did have a car stolen — a restored 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S he and Marc “Elvis” Priestley had spent months rebuilding for the show’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. Thieves took the covered trailer holding the car from a Premier Inn car park in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, overnight on 26–27 June 2023, and it has never been publicly reported as recovered. This guide covers exactly what happened, what the hosts said, and the car’s current status.
Quick Answer
No — as of the most recent public reporting, Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley’s stolen 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S has not been recovered. It was taken, still loaded on its covered trailer, from a hotel car park in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, in June 2023. West Yorkshire Police opened an investigation, and Brewer reportedly offered a £5,000 reward for its return.
What Actually Happened
In June 2023, Wheeler Dealers presenters Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley were staying at a Premier Inn on Knottingley Road, near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, ahead of a filmed event to celebrate Ford ending Fiesta production. Their latest project car — a fully restored 1979 Mk1 Ford Fiesta 1300S — was loaded on a covered trailer in the hotel car park, ready to be towed to the show the next morning.
Sometime between roughly 11:30pm on Monday, 26 June, and 8am on Tuesday, 27 June, the entire trailer was stolen from the car park. Brewer has said he believes the thieves were after the trailer itself and may not have realized the classic Fiesta was loaded inside it.
The Car That Was Stolen: A 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S
The stolen car was a blue 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S — a basic, front-wheel-drive economy hatchback from Ford’s first-generation Fiesta line, not a luxury or exotic vehicle. Brewer and Priestley had rebuilt it specifically to mark the end of Fiesta production, calling it “the best Mk1 Ford Fiesta in this country.” The car had no unusual “advanced technology” or leather trim — its value came entirely from the restoration work and its rarity as a well-preserved first-generation Fiesta, not from luxury features.
It was due to be the star attraction at “Fiestaval,” a Wheeler Dealers-filmed gathering near Leeds that drew hundreds of Ford Fiesta owners to mark Ford’s decision to discontinue the model.
Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley’s Response
Brewer posted about the theft to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers, asking fans and West Yorkshire Police for any information about the trailer or the car. He and Priestley also launched a search that included a reported £5,000 reward for information leading to the Fiesta’s recovery.
“We built the best Mk1 Ford Fiesta in this country — we’re heartbroken.”
Has the Wheeler Dealers Stolen Car Been Found?
No confirmed recovery has been publicly reported. Fans and press coverage speculated the car may have been broken down for parts to avoid identification, since its restoration and Fiesta community ties made it fairly recognizable. West Yorkshire Police’s investigation stayed open into late 2023 with no announced arrests or recovery in the reporting available at the time.
📊 The stolen Fiesta represented roughly 100 hours of Brewer’s own restoration time, and the theft happened in a single overnight window (23:30–08:00 BST) from a public hotel car park — Source: BBC News, June 2023
Police Investigation
West Yorkshire Police opened an investigation shortly after the theft was reported. As with most active UK police cases, specific leads, suspect descriptions, or forensic details were not made public. Brewer’s public appeal directed tips to the force directly rather than to the show’s own team, which is the standard approach recommended for any vehicle theft.
Anyone with genuine information about a vehicle theft in England or Wales should always report it to the police (101 for non-emergencies, 999 if a crime is in progress) rather than relying on social media appeals alone.
Why Trailer Theft Targets Classic and Restored Cars
Restored and classic cars are frequent theft targets because they’re often high in resale or parts value but light on modern anti-theft tech — many pre-1990s cars have no immobilizer, no tracking chip, and simple locks. In this case, the thieves likely weren’t even targeting the Fiesta specifically; they took an enclosed trailer, which is itself a valuable and resellable item, without necessarily knowing what was loaded inside it. That’s a distinct and common theft pattern from the more familiar keyless-entry relay theft that targets modern cars parked on driveways.
How to Protect a Restored Car From Trailer Theft
- Never leave a loaded trailer unattended overnight in a public car park — a hitch lock and wheel clamp on the trailer itself slow down opportunistic theft far more than a lock on the car.
- Fit a hidden GPS tracker to the car, not just the towing vehicle — if the trailer is stolen without anyone noticing, a tracker on the car is what actually helps recover it. See our guide on how to install a GPS tracker the right way.
- Choose a tracker with real-time alerts, not just location logging — our roundup of the best car tracking devices with apps covers options that notify you the moment a vehicle moves unexpectedly.
- Photograph and document unique restoration details — specific parts, repairs, or modifications make a car easier to positively identify if it’s ever recovered or resold.
- Check that classic car insurance covers “in transit” theft — some policies treat a car being towed differently from one parked at home; confirm this before any long-distance trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Wheeler Dealers really have a car stolen?
Yes. In June 2023, a restored 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S belonging to co-hosts Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley was stolen from a hotel car park in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, while still loaded on its covered trailer. This was a real, police-reported incident, not a storyline created for the show.
What car was stolen from Wheeler Dealers?
The stolen car was a blue 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S, an economy hatchback that Brewer and Priestley had restored for a filmed event marking the end of Ford Fiesta production. It was not a luxury or high-performance model — its value came from the restoration work and rarity, not from special equipment.
When and where was the Wheeler Dealers car stolen?
The car was stolen overnight between roughly 11:30pm on Monday, 26 June 2023, and 8am the next morning, from the car park of a Premier Inn on Knottingley Road in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, near Wakefield.
Has the Wheeler Dealers stolen car ever been found?
No recovery has been publicly confirmed in available reporting. West Yorkshire Police’s investigation remained open with no announced arrests as of the most recent coverage, and neither Brewer nor Priestley has publicly reported getting the Fiesta back.
Was a reward offered for the stolen Wheeler Dealers Ford Fiesta?
Reports at the time said Mike Brewer offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to the car’s return, in addition to a public social media appeal asking fans to contact West Yorkshire Police directly with any leads.
How was the car actually stolen — was it broken into?
The Fiesta itself wasn’t broken into. It was already loaded on a covered trailer for transport, and thieves stole the entire trailer from the hotel car park. Brewer has suggested the thieves were likely after the trailer and may not have known a classic car was inside it.
Conclusion
The Wheeler Dealers car theft was a genuine, documented incident: a restored 1979 Ford Fiesta Mk1 1300S, stolen along with its covered trailer from a Yorkshire hotel car park in June 2023. Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley went public with the loss, offered a reward, and worked with West Yorkshire Police — but as of the most recent available reporting, the car has not been recovered. If you’re a classic car owner transporting a project on a trailer, the case is a reminder to lock down the trailer itself, not just the car sitting inside it.
