3 On The Column

Brian Thomas and Andrew Roberts
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3 on the column, brings together Andrew Roberts, the renowned Classic car writer and Brian Thomas,  to talk Classic cars, with occasional guests joining in to share their classic car world. 3 On The Column knows that all of today's classics were once new cars, so revisit with us and enjoy their new car moment and how they are viewed  today. Want to share your classic car world with us? get in touch, we want to hear about it.

  1. 18 May

    Seth, Ollie & Sheila, the 'London to Cape Town' 3-Wheeler, Join 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail It's time for Andrew and I to book our summer holidays, but the cost of a long haul flight to Cape Town is looking a bit steep these days so we need to find an alternative.  Let's ask Seth Scott and Ollie Jenks, as they've driven there in Sheila, a Reliant Robin van. How hard can it be? Well, in this podcast, we'll be finding out. First, choose your car.  Top of the tree has to be a 3-wheeler because then you can break a world record - for the furthest distance travelled in a 3-wheeled car. Next, you will need a few modifications, and possibly a new engine enroute. Fortunately, Seth and Ollie were members of the Reliant Owners Club, who were able to source and send an emergency 'engine in a suitcase' to them. Then, when you need to get through a border checkpoint, the love and humour that everyone has for these cars will see you through.  Try the same with a new Defender! From roadside repairs, and the ingenuity of the local mechanics, to traffic light vendors looking under the car, trying to locate where the front wheels are, Seth and Ollie tell us how it was. Their chosen charity is https://www.schoolinabag.org/ which helps provide the very basics for school, such as pens and paper, that the poorest children in the remotest places need.  Enroute, Seth and Ollie were able to see first hand just how much of a support this charity can be to these children in the far flung places of Africa. And now to preparations for trip number 2.  It's time for Ollie to start to learn something about football since, from the 11th June, the friends will be touring all of the 2026 World Cup football stadiums, driving across Canada, the US, Mexico and then back to Canada again. 10,000 miles in 39 days, and their chariot of choice for this trip is an ex-London FX4 Taxi currently off the road in Canada that hasn't run for years and won't start! Is that an issue?  Of course not.  They will sort it!  After all, they're seasoned explorers now. instagram/@hold.mygear  https://www.holdmygear.org/  Support the show

    1hr 1min

  2. 6 May

    A Celebration of the Invacar: Dez Meets 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast.

    Send us Fan Mail Those of you who follow classic car social media will have recently seen a blue Invacar, heading north on the M40 to Gaydon for Rustival 2026. In this podcast episode, we are pleased to welcome, Dez, the owner of this car, as our guest. Dez expertly takes us through the history of invalid carriages from their inception in the 1890's, through the peak of the Invacar in the 60's, 70's and 80's, to their all but total removal from daily use and subsequent rise as a collectible classic vehicle. The Invacar is probably the most misunderstood classic vehicle in the history of cars: easily dismissed by people who never owned or drove one, though all of us, who are old enough, remember them well. Dez is a big fan and a knowledgeable historian of them. He expertly debunks the myths surrounding them and explains why they were so brilliantly fit for their purpose, and why, when they were withdrawn from service, they were missed by many of their drivers.  Dez keeps his Invacar Model 70 as a daily driver and with good reason: he is a wheelchair user, living in Central London. We think that qualifies Dez as an expert to make the case for the Invacar as a classic vehicle, which should be remembered as a vehicle that was brilliantly fit for purpose. And yes, they are allowed on the motorway and yes, they can do a steady 60 mph quite happily. Mind you, Dez wasn't flat out that day! Support the show

    1hr 18min

  3. 28 Apr

    Keith W R Jones from The Joy of Specs joins The 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail Despite the title, you'll not need your glasses for this podcast since our guest, Keith W R Jones, is loud and clear.  When he shared the memory of the Vauxhall Albany with us recently, we knew straight away that we wanted to have Keith on the 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast.  For those who have forgotten the Albany, probably almost all of us, it was a luxury Vauxhall Midi minibus, which came from the factory with metallic paint, tinted glass and, bizarrely, seats from the Astra GTE. Keith is an undercover motoring journalist, who reputedly knows everything, and has, over the years, collaborated with a diverse range of clients to provide bespoke car information packages. As well as all the information stored in his head, Keith has a personal archive of over 50,000 sales brochures, price lists, books, motor show catalogues and magazines.  With magazines, it is the smell, the patina and the tactility that make them special and, he reminds us, not all printed information and knowledge is available online. We find out about the development of Autocar's road test over the years, referencing the fifth wheel, and discover how the world of driving and owning a car, as well as day-to-day life in general, has been reflected in the car magazines through time. 'The Autocar Road Test Record' is Keith's upcoming book about the magazine's first century of road tests. Join us now, as we learn more. To read more about the Joy Of Specs. https://the-joy-of-specs.co.uk/ Support the show

    1hr 9min

  4. 24 Apr

    Dan Ferrari Ford from the XR Owners Club Meets 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail From having his first XR3i aged just 19, an XR Ford has always been part of Dan's motoring life.  Now his family have also grown up with XR Fords, and shared fun times with the XR Owners club.  And what is the ideal garage partner for a fast Ford?  Well, Dan went for a Mondial, his first Ferrari and then traded up to a 360: see the stories of his Ferraris and the fast Fords @danferrariford Are they easy to mend? Can you afford the parts? Can Dan fix it? Make a Dash for a Fiesta and park it in your wardrobe? But will it go up the stairs and, talking of wardrobes and cars, whatever happened to the jacket and shirts on the coat hook of the business car? When the Escort gave way to the Focus, there was a new class leader, and it was brilliant, an engineering triumph.  Did we really know how good it was?   Support the show

    1hr 1min

  5. 15 Apr

    Citroen Car Club's Nigel Wild Joins 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail With the prize for the 'Best Live Stand Demonstration' at "Practical Classics Restoration Show 2026" going to the Citroen Car Club for their live demonstration of the Citroen DS Hydropneumatic suspension, Andrew and I needed to find out more.  The solution was to talk to legend of the club, Nigel Wild. The key to a successful demonstration at the NEC is making it accessible to the audience.  Nigel can get an explanation of the difference between constant spring rate and infinitely rising spring rate  across to Andrew and myself so well that we will think we have an engineering degree! We also discover the cars from other manufacturers that have been influenced by Citroen and find out what car Alex Moulton drove. How about restoring a bus?  Easier than you might think!  We take a look at the Boris Routemaster and compare it to the original and learn about the design and engineering that made them so fit for purpose. Do we need to fix Stellantis?  Are there reminders of British Leyland?  Should we be worried?  And where do the Chinese fit in?   All will be revealed... Please like and subscribe Support the show

    1hr 7min

  6. 9 Apr

    Commonwealth Car Club Meets 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast.

    Send us Fan Mail Having seen the buzz around the Commonwealth Car Club stand at Pride of Longbridge last year, Brian and Andrew felt that this matter needed further investigation.  The invite went out and was accepted - Jonathan and Cat from the Commonwealth Car Club join us today to explain all. We hear about word being passed around Longbridge on a 'need to know' basis that 60 cars would be required for a secret "stunt" at a certain location: the chosen few and their cars were in fact to be part of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.  Experience our guests sharing with us what being part of this tremendous event was like from inside the cars.   Unbeknown to all at the time, the ceremony also heralded the beginning of the Commonwealth Car Club, a club which has grown to more than 8000 members in just 4 years, with two NEC classic car shows in the bag already, and staging their own celebrated events. Listen now and find out how it all happened. Support the show

    1hr 8min

  7. 3 Apr

    The Austin A30/A35 Owners Club Meets 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail Following on from last week's podcast with the guys from Crossley Motorsport and their Jowett Jupiter, this week Brian and Andrew remember that other stalwart of the classic motor racing scene, the Austin A30/A35.  If you want to find out more about these cars there is, of course, only one place to go and that is the Austin A30/A35 Owners Club. We are pleased to welcome Melanie from the club, who shares with us that this year the cars celebrate their 75th birthday, with the club itself starting in 1970, when the last of the A35 vans were just 2 years old. We find out how an Austin A30 or A35 comprehensively beats an Aston Martin, even without a tuning kit from Speedwell or being driven by Graham Hill.  It was Melanie's first car but she didn't have it from new, obviously! Going home sideways in the snow and, if you had an inflatable A35, how would you blow it up? We've seen the Lions of Longleat, let's go camping... and why a sunroof is always desirable. An A30/A35 - it's hereditary thing - once in the family, always in the family. Support the show

    1hr 13min

  8. 17 Mar

    3 on the Column Classic Car Podcast: Andrew's Headmistress & the Jaunty Spitfire

    Send us Fan Mail Today, Andrew revisits his schooldays where, fortunately for us, he paid a bit more attention to the staff car park than he did to his schoolwork!  SEE ME! Riding in the back of the school minibus at high speed through the back streets of Gosport on a loose bench seat, and getting out alive... The smell of lightly oiled rubber?  It can only be a Renault 8. This is a local, special edition for local people: we'll have no trouble here! What's that pedal bin doing on the curb? All will be revealed. Support the show

    49 min
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About

3 on the column, brings together Andrew Roberts, the renowned Classic car writer and Brian Thomas,  to talk Classic cars, with occasional guests joining in to share their classic car world. 3 On The Column knows that all of today's classics were once new cars, so revisit with us and enjoy their new car moment and how they are viewed  today. Want to share your classic car world with us? get in touch, we want to hear about it.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Thomas and Andrew Roberts
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 3 On The Column
  • Show Website
    3 On The Column