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George Bamford - Driving Vintage Ferrari's Up and Down The English Countryside
817 Plays2 years ago
Today we’re talking to a car collector whose built a business around his passions. George Bamford, founder of Bamford Watch Department has always loved mechanical things from an early age. When the time came to join his family’s business, he decided to not rest on his laurels and started his own. George has an amazing collection ranging from Ferraris to Land Rovers and drives them all up and down the country roads, just outside of London. He’s got a strict rule with all of his cars, and that’s that none of them are show ponies, so he makes sure to drive everything, especially his vintage Ferrari 275 GTB. We talk about design, his newly released watch collaboration with one of his favorite brands, Land Rover, and what it was like growing up around the cars that he’s collecting now. We will for sure have him back on to hear more stories, but for now, please enjoy, this is George Bamford, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Bamford Watch Department - https://www.bamfordwatchdepartment.com/
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Transcript
Introduction to Collectors Gene Radio
00:00:00
Speaker
That's the thing on all of these cars, watches, they all have history and stories that are inherent in them. What's going on everybody and welcome to Collectors Gene Radio. I'm your host Cameron Steiner and I'm joined by my co-host and brother Ryan. This is all about diving into the nuances of collecting and ultimately finding out whether or not our guests have what we like to call the Collectors Gene.
00:00:28
Speaker
That's right. And as always, please subscribe and leave a review for us. It truly helps. We hope you enjoy the pod. Let's go.
Meet George Bamford: Car Collector & Watch Enthusiast
00:00:41
Speaker
Today we're talking to a car collector who built a business around his passions. George Bamford, founder of Bamford Watch Department, has always loved mechanical things from an early age.
00:00:53
Speaker
When the time came to join his family's business, he decided to not rest on his laurels and started his own. George has an amazing collection ranging from Ferraris to Land Rovers and Bentleys. And he drives them all up and down the country roads, just right outside of London.
00:01:10
Speaker
He's got a strict rule with all of his cars, and none of them are show ponies. So he makes sure to drive just about everything, especially his vintage Ferrari 275 GTB. We talk about design, his newly released watch collaboration with one of his favorite brands, Land Rover, and what it was like growing up around the cars that he's collecting now.
00:01:33
Speaker
We will absolutely be having it back on to hear more stories. But for now, please enjoy. This is George Bamford for collector's team radio. George Bamford, how are you doing? I am doing amazingly. Thank you so much for having me on. This is, this is a fun, exciting, um, something new and I'm really, really excited. So thank you very much for having me on.
00:01:57
Speaker
Oh, it's truly my pleasure.
Early Influences & Passion for Cars
00:02:00
Speaker
Having you on has definitely been something that I really wanted to do from the inception of this podcast. So truly, it's my honor.
00:02:07
Speaker
Oh, well, this is awesome. It's amazing, and I can't believe that I am on here. So I'm kind of wondering where we go, what we're going to be talking about, because I'm like, collecting is such a weird and wonderful kind of topic. You know, I'm sitting in a library at the moment, and I collect books, and I'm just like thinking of Christ, we collect so many different things in our lives.
00:02:33
Speaker
I collect books as well, mainly different coffee table books just based on the topics and hobbies that I like. But I think today I kind of want to start day one for you, which is really talking about cars. And we'll definitely sprinkle some watch stuff in there because your business, Bamford Watch Department is based on that. But through and through, you grew up around cars, and your family has an amazing collection. And you have an amazing collection. So I kind of want to start there.
00:03:01
Speaker
Are you in London today at your home library? No, no, I'm in London. I literally hop, skipped and a jumped straight to the off from the office to home to do this. Because I thought it was firstly, there's no one else coming in and saying, hey, George, can we do this? Or, you know, submit a way through. So I thought that would be the good thing. And I just sort of easier to kind of chat through everything.
00:03:25
Speaker
But yeah, no, in London, it is, of course, in England, it's raining, of course, because it rains the whole time, but that's kind of normal. Well, I am I'm in, I'm in Scottsdale, Arizona, and we rarely get any rain. So I'm a little envious. I love Scottsdale, Arizona. For me, that is, it's somewhere that is. So Arizona, I absolutely love and Scottsdale, God, you know, it's such a beautiful place.
00:03:51
Speaker
Yeah, it's, you know, grateful to live here for sure. But I have to say coming to Europe is definitely my favorite thing to do. So I know living there sometimes doesn't become as much of a novelty.
00:04:04
Speaker
We always miss what we don't have. It's always that thing. But it's cool. Travel, I think, now, and I'm really, really pleased, travel has come back and we're back out seeing what's happening, and I absolutely love it.
00:04:23
Speaker
Amazing. So let's talk about cars for a second. So you grew up around cars, right? Your father and your family run the construction company JCB and your father has an amazing collection. Is that where you got started with cars or?
00:04:36
Speaker
Yeah, honestly, as you could probably say, I've got it in my blood, automotive. I learned how to strip an engine when I was younger, about eight or nine, I was on the shop floor learning how to weld. And always, on the weekend, it was my time with my father, same with my brother and my sister.
00:04:58
Speaker
where he'd go and say, why don't we take that out? What should we do on this? Do you hear the sound of this? Is that a V8 or a V12 and just listen to the sound of this engine before we get? For me, it's always been a part of it. Even down to my kids now, you already are putting in to them that love for something.
00:05:26
Speaker
And they may not love it fully. This is the thing is sometimes they may go, oh, that's boring. But I think I've been very, very lucky and my father has kind of dragged us into the car world in such a wonderful way. What are your earliest memories of you and your father talking about cars, driving cars? Do you have a favorite car of his?
00:05:48
Speaker
Do I have a favorite car? I have a car that I was always the one I had to smile about and just thinking about it. It's happy memories. And my father had back in the day an AC Cobra. Amazing. And why I loved it was because the sound.
00:06:07
Speaker
The sound was just, and it was as raw as you could get. And the bum kept on twitching out, and it was just always that thing. And I loved the dash on it, because it was this black leather dash, but with these wonderful portholes all the way through it, with all the different gauges. And the gear knob was cool. And you sat so close to each other that it just felt like you were together driving the car. And I just always loved that with the AC Cobra.
00:06:37
Speaker
That's such an amazing car and definitely a special one to grow up around. Speaking of cars and you and your business and stuff, I want to make sure we get
Collaborations & Car Culture
00:06:50
Speaker
this in. You launched an amazing collaboration this week with Land Rover and your Bamford watch department.
00:06:57
Speaker
Yes, I am so, so happy. I'm obsessed with Land Rovers. My father thinks I'm absolutely nuts on my obsession with defenders because I've got way too many of them. How many do you have in the collection? Between not enough and too many. I think that's the perfect amount.
00:07:14
Speaker
The perfect amount is the same as what I say about collecting watches as I always have too many and not enough. But it was a dream come true to be working with Land Rover on something that is a modern luxury brand. The New Defender is a kick-ass
00:07:35
Speaker
future-looking product and to work with them on a unique case and a unique watch. I'm tickled pink about this. I know that's a weird way of describing it, but I'm so happy. I've got a grin from ear to ear to be working with.
00:07:57
Speaker
an iconic british brand that most people know as land rover and you know this this is a you know you think about the defender but let's say the land rover you know circumnavigated the world these are products that have seen the thing and to be a part of that history
00:08:16
Speaker
This is absolutely amazing and I'm so happy and so blown away. I've got the watch on my wrist and if this was a visual thing, you'd be here seeing me showing it off. But it's, you know, fixed lugs, a modern take on a fixed lug watch.
00:08:34
Speaker
The grey-on-grey dial with the cut-through luminous battens or luminous, so it's a sandwich dial, is absolutely amazing. Titanium, so it's got that real kind of robust nature. I'm beating the hell out of my watch, and I sound like I'm promoting it, I'm not. You know, the watch is almost sold out, probably, I don't know when this comes out, but probably when it comes out, we will have sold out.
00:09:00
Speaker
It's not about the sellers, it's more about working with a great partner. We're working with an awesome partner. Hats off to you because the watch design is lovely and it's got Bamford Watch Department written all over it in the best way. But to work with a brand like Land Rover and have them think so highly of your brand to say, yes, we have to do this project with George, I think that's the most special part.
00:09:30
Speaker
Yeah, well, I love working with them. And, you know, I feel very treated. It's cool working with them. And so, yeah, no, I agree.
00:09:43
Speaker
So you live in the country most of the time, which is arguably a car collector's haven in terms of open roads and taking cars out for a drive. But do you ever get nervous? I mean, I know things get kicked up like dirt and rocks, and I know you like to drive your stuff, but you also want to keep stuff in decent condition, right?
Driving Philosophy & Pandemic Impact
00:10:02
Speaker
Yes.
00:10:04
Speaker
I think that this should never be a show pony. They should never, or what's the best way is a garage, you know, sit in a garage and never come out. I will drive it, come hell or high water, I'll drive whichever car, because I think to myself is they need driving. And point of proof is that during COVID, there was quite a few cars that I didn't drive because I was stuck at home and I thought, this is not the right time to bring out certain cars. To the point that
00:10:34
Speaker
now one of them's got a full engine rebuild because it's sat there for too long and then something else has got another problem with the tires. And one of them, I can't believe this, but a mouse got in and ate some of the electrics and you're just going, oh my God.
00:10:52
Speaker
And that's where I think to myself is, no matter what, these cars need to be loved and driven. That is what they were designed for, is to be driven. They're designed for you to sit in there and drive them. The same with my watches.
00:11:07
Speaker
You know, and watches that we work with watch brands, these watches are to be worn and to be beaten around and loved and not to sit in a safe and go, oh, and then you bring two or three people up to show them off. They got to be loved and they've got to be enjoyed. And that's where I think cars should be and watches. And so, you know, when you talk about these two collections,
00:11:29
Speaker
it's more about you've got to put your foot down and you've got to just kind of hear it roar. And you've got to feel the feeling of the car. You've got to know where that right front wheel is going to be, the left. You've got to feel like when I come to this corner, this car is going to have a twitchy bum or it's going to fly through and
00:11:53
Speaker
It's going to be on rails, but then I'm too close to this." You've got to feel it. There's certain cars that I wouldn't take out in the rain, and there's certain cars I would take out in the rain, but you've got to know how to drive them. For sure. That's obviously taken some serious practice, but I think it also comes with just being a collector of this stuff and falling in love with it. You learn the ins and outs of every bit and piece.
00:12:21
Speaker
Well, that's the thing is, on any of them, the more you drive it, the more you get to love it. The more that it makes you smile, it makes you giggle. And that's what I think is, you know, just learning loving and falling in love with any collection. I'm sure the other people that you've got on, you've got on this.
00:12:42
Speaker
talk about that thing of why do you collect? You don't need another car. You don't need another watch. You don't need another book. I don't know. You don't need that extra bit of technology. It's never going to change your life. You don't need them, but you want them.
00:13:00
Speaker
And I think that's the cool thing. But then you've got to experience them and love them. And I realized during lockdown and why I talk about lockdown a few times, because I realized when I looked at lockdown, I went through my watches and all my cars and I went.
00:13:15
Speaker
What brings me happiness? What brings me? Does this, if it was worth nothing tomorrow, and at the beginning of lockdown, everyone thought that the world had fallen to pieces, and everything was worth nothing and all that type of thing. And I thought, does this bring me joy? Is this going to be something that I'm going to hold on to? And majority of the cars, yes. And majority of the watches. So that was my thing. Do you ever let go of any of your collection?
00:13:44
Speaker
Yes, I do. And that is sometimes the problem. Because someone comes up to me and goes, Oh, George, I've got a really, you know, I love that of yours. Can I buy it off? You know, I'd like to buy it. Or do you know how much is worth and blubber? And I'm like, Yeah, okay. And then, you know, a couple of weeks later, or a month or two later, I get Oh, you know,
00:14:08
Speaker
You were talking about buying this, or you could sell it for me, and you kind of inclimated on X. Then they're like, oh, yeah, but things have changed now. I think it's 20 grand less, or it's this, or it's that. You're like going, oh, fuck. I think that's the biggest problem, is every time you come to try and sell something,
00:14:35
Speaker
you kind of go, you never get what you think it's worth. And so, you know, but I have I've jettisoned cars before. And there's one or two I've regretted. There's one or two I've really always. And then there's some that I'm like, I'm very happy it's out of my life.
00:14:54
Speaker
And over time, does that regret fade because I've definitely sold stuff out of my collection before and I regret it in the moment and maybe for the preceding couple of months, but then I find something else that I fall in love with and kind of forget about it.
00:15:08
Speaker
No, my, no, I brought one back. I actually brought the exact car back because I was just like, this, this needs to be this. This has so many happy memories. I need this back in my life. There was a 550 Maranello and it was when I was that's an amazing car.
00:15:26
Speaker
When i was coursing my wife and it was one of those cars that i swapped for db nine at the time the convertible if you look back on it that was not a good swap but at the time it was because db nine had just come out and it was a great swap.
00:15:44
Speaker
Uh, still a lovely car. Yeah. I was very pleased that went out of my collection, but anyway, uh, but it was a DB nine Volante and, uh, but this five 50 is now back in my collection. Cause it's something that really, you know, bodies are dating and it embodies stupid things like me trying, you know, I always
00:16:07
Speaker
go to people and no one talks about their losses or their things that have gone in their life. But I'm one of these that I always embrace them because I think it's quite good to embrace. But one time I was trying to shine on to my wife and show how cool I was. So I parked this 550 outside one of the, I thought was the coolest nightclub in London. And I'm sure most of your listeners will go, oh my God, this sounds dreadful.
00:16:36
Speaker
Um, and I parked the car outside and I went in and I was like, you know, and I don't know, there was a drinks and things like that. And then I came back out and the car wouldn't start up. And so, so then I proceeded to be on the back of a, um, uh, I don't know what you would call in the States, but we call it AA truck, but basically I was, I was on a triple A truck. Um, and.
00:17:03
Speaker
I was going home in that so the idea of me showing off became such a kind of back backwards looking thing that it just made me smile because this car embraces those type of things that I was I was going through a tunnel and I
00:17:21
Speaker
I went to my wife, she was my girlfriend at the time, and I was like, oh, let's wind down the windows, listen to the engine. It's got a tubey exhaust, it's absolutely amazing. And anyway, I didn't realize it was dry up to the tunnel. And then there was a bit of wet in the tunnel. Anyway, I proceeded to do a full 360 and carried on driving, but I did a 360 in this tunnel.
00:17:49
Speaker
And she was my girlfriend at the time and she just turned around to me and using English terminology, she just turned around and went wanker.
00:18:00
Speaker
And so that's kind of idiot, but the most offensive type of way of saying idiot. But anyway, so that's what a car embodies.
Stories of Regret and Redemption
00:18:08
Speaker
And, and then I got rid of it and it was the saddest day. I was like, I was so down about it because I was just like, actually, I've had some happy memories. So I got, so I spent probably the best part of a year trying to trace it back. And I brought it back maybe two years ago. No, just before COVID. What color is it in?
00:18:29
Speaker
And so one of my favorite colors is black. So it's black on black. It's black on black on black on black on black with a little bit of black. And some extra black. Yeah. I mean, everything from even like all the Ferrari horses are in black. Every bit of it is black because that's how I did it on this. Even all the grills are black and just everything is as much black as you can put on it. It just looks so cool.
00:18:59
Speaker
Yeah, it's kind of hard to beat when you see one of those in all black. Yeah. And it's such a fun car. And I almost drove it up to London this week. And I was just like, and I don't know, I was just knackered. And I knew that the rain was going to hit in. And I thought, this is going to be fun on my drive back. Yeah, exactly.
00:19:22
Speaker
So obviously there's a car racing and watch lineage, but what is it really about the two that gets you up every morning to not only collect, but also run a business based on the two?
00:19:33
Speaker
So what gets me up in the morning? That's called, I've got bills to pay. No, I honestly, you know, as my father said to me, he said, you've got to learn the value of a pound and go off and go and do your own thing and afford your own life. And so that's what I've done throughout my life. And so I've had a very, very good grounding from someone that was absolutely amazing, someone inspiring.
00:19:57
Speaker
Car collecting, does it get me up in the morning? No, my family gets me up in the morning and goes, you know, and the drive is that. But then going for, going in cars and collecting cars, it's more.
00:20:15
Speaker
I love the aesthetics of them. I love the aesthetics of the design of them. Each car that I've got, there's a reason why I've got it. Some of them are kind of weird and wonderful. They're not the atypical, oh, you need that in your collection. Some are, but some aren't. The reason is because they've
00:20:37
Speaker
something that delighted me like a Z1. I love my Z1 and it is such a weird car, but you press those doors and it makes you smile. You sit in it and you go, this was the start of all the Z cars.
00:20:55
Speaker
And then you kind of look at that single piece on the fender and how there's a bolt that can crack the fender. And then you see on the side of that fender that that's where the Z sits because of a reflection, because there's this kind of
00:21:15
Speaker
paraboloid on the side that's kind of a weird shape and it creates a zed. And you then go, well, that's why they call it zed. And I just love all these little things that you just kind of, you know, little bits of knowledge that you, and you know, and then you kind of think about the yuppiness of this car and how it fell from grace. And I picked it up for nothing. And this thing just kind of, you can't not smile.
00:21:39
Speaker
And you had the, you know, I guess the opportunity to join your family's business, but you kind of decided to do the opposite and stick with your own and was that a difficult choice? Look, I would say to you is that family business, like I'm always with, you know, my father and I always talk about business. Sure. Either side.
00:22:02
Speaker
I can walk my own walk and i can do my own thing and my ego gets pampered by my business and so what i say to you is inside.
00:22:15
Speaker
let's say the family business, but my father made it what it was, and is. So, you know, I kind of go to you and say, it's his business and any of us in it is kind of, it's wonderful to work with your father and don't I know it, but it's one of those things where you want to kind of,
00:22:34
Speaker
I want to walk my own path. You don't want to walk in their shoes. And, you know, and I love at the moment, you know, I go and there's certain projects I sit on. And I walk alongside him not walk in his shoes. And I love that.
00:22:51
Speaker
Because I've got I've got my own, you know, I haven't got a legal department. I haven't got a travel department They're all me. I've my social media department is me Well, we've now just hired a social media guy. But what I mean is everything and you see a bigger family business There's all of those things you want to travel somewhere. Oh, there's a department that can help you or you need you've got a bit of an issue You know, you're trying to get this contract done. Oh, there's a legal debate, you know, and that's it's quite nice to know that I'm doing myself
00:23:21
Speaker
Hats off to you it's not easy to do no no but it's not to toot my own whistle and i really am not it's i'm i just enjoy what i'm doing and you know it like to turn i'm not turning my back on the family business because it's so nice to have a family business and you know
00:23:39
Speaker
As I always say, I think being born, I was born into lottery. It's whatever I've taken in life. You've just got to make sure that you run at anything that you do. My father gave me the bite to go and set up this business. I think that's the easiest way of describing it. You've got to go and enjoy that day and not waste the day.
00:24:05
Speaker
Do you find that cars are watches in the sense that there's so much more charm in the vintage stuff versus modern, right? Because I would argue that a lot of the new stuff doesn't necessarily have charm, just really great design. I can't imagine looking at a Pagani 30 years from now thinking, wow, this has charm. I would just think that this is an incredible design.
00:24:29
Speaker
Yeah, but then I'm going to say is I kind of disagree with you because an BMW M1 has got such a great style of F40 has a great style to it. You look at some of those things, you even go to the Lamborghinis at the 80s. I guess for me, that's vintage.
00:24:51
Speaker
Yeah, but that's the thing is, you think about if you see something through today's lens, could it be that that lens is marred by you're going, oh, well, that won't be cool. You've already said to me a 550. I swapped a 550 for a DB9. You kind of then go to yourself and you go, well, why did you do that?
00:25:17
Speaker
in the grand scheme of things. But at the time, the 550 wasn't the, oh my god, you need that. There was something else. 599 had come out, and everyone was talking about that. So the 550 was dropping like a, I mean, it was literally like throwing a pebble into the water. It was dropping very fast in price, and no one really wanted them. So I was very lucky to get out of it.
00:25:43
Speaker
So and now you know it's a classic it's cool and you kind of go well yeah it's um you know it's a liquor liquor monitors and load doing some freaking cool stuff but it is one of those that you have to kind of go through it the other thing is like you know you think about.
00:26:00
Speaker
The new Polestar electric car, I look at something like that and I think that is ultra-modern, very cool. But we could run through that and go, yeah, actually, this could be a future classic. It could be like the M1, it could be like, I don't know, I would see...
00:26:18
Speaker
I love the 8 Series BMW and that for me is, and there's a car I'm really sad I lost, didn't lose, I sold it. But there's a 550, sorry, 8 Series Alpina BMW and I'd imported it from Singapore.
00:26:38
Speaker
and I'd found it. My father basically said, for my first car, you've got a price for a Mini. And I remember going there and getting to Singapore, and I found it. And there was only two of them made with loads of carbon on them, a tuned up engine, blah, blah, blah. And my father was
00:26:58
Speaker
Anyway, my father was slightly livid because I'd came back with basically a supercar for the price of a million. And as a car, I'm desperate to get back. It now lives in Hong Kong, and they won't sell it to me. So it's something I'm sad that hasn't come back. So you know who has it? Yes, kind of. I've had an intermediate go and knock on the door, but they've been told to kind of not knock anymore. So that's really annoying.
00:27:27
Speaker
But what I'm saying to you is that's a car I regret that I sold. But you look at the 8 Series, the 8 Series, you know, you say about a Pagani Zonda, this Alpina 8 Series was the Pagani of the time in some ways. It was like stupid, batshit crazy. I mean, I remember that in fourth, I would spin the tires and blow the rear tires sometimes.
00:27:53
Speaker
And you kind of then go to yourself and you go, are you not driving it right? And you go, yeah, but it was like in fourth, this engine was just nuts. And it would go like it top out at 210 miles. Unbelievable.
00:28:09
Speaker
there's these cars, there's the great stories, the great things that you missed. Oh my God, I wish I'd done that or I wish I'd, you know, and I think that's, that's the thing you're saying about cars and watches, you know, are we going to look back on these
00:28:24
Speaker
cars today and go, well, that hasn't got this or that hasn't got that. I think we're in the last of the heyday of the V6, the V8, and the V12 engines. I think whatever is being produced today is going to be held up like the 80s cars and even the 70s and 60s cars as the real epitome of, or let's say the showcase of car engineering.
00:28:55
Speaker
Yeah, I definitely see the other side of the equation there for sure. And you know, I could say to you two or three things. One of them is you think about something like this. A Dino. Beautiful car, stunning, everything amazing. I think it was very hard to sell when it first came out. Why is that? Because the design of that car to me is so incredible. And seeing one in person is just even a whole other ballgame.
00:29:21
Speaker
but it was underpowered, it was small engine, it was boom, boom, boom. There was quite a few things that were wrong with it. But now let's look at a Maserati MC20. I think it's a modern Dino. The new little Lotus, a modern Dino. But they're not, people are turning their nose up on these cars. Yeah, it's definitely being slept on. But that's also good because these things could be the future classics.
00:29:50
Speaker
Right. Because it'll be less collectors to hop on. Yeah, less produce, less, less everything. As a collector, how often are you in search for car X and then car Z comes across your desk that you never thought that you ever wanted, but it just caught your eye and then it becomes something you have to have. And then the car you were in search for kind of takes a backseat. Does that ever happen? Um, it's happened a few times, predominantly with defenders. And I know that or, or Land Rover products, um, because.
00:30:20
Speaker
There's two or three people that know that I'm in the mood for dancing and in the mood for buying Land Rovers, and so there's certain price points. And I will also say is buying a watch or buying a car, I have a ceiling.
00:30:35
Speaker
I have a ceiling on price, and I won't go over that ceiling. I think that's always a good thing to have, is have the top end of it. Now, when I was talking about collecting, you can collect some of the coolest watches. You could even collect some very cool cars for not much.
00:30:54
Speaker
You know, like defenders, I have a ceiling and it's about two and a half thousand pounds. And that's for land drivers. Now for me, that is where I sit. Now I've got a really cool collection of them, but I, you know, and yes, I spent way more than that restoring them.
00:31:14
Speaker
But what I would say is, these are things that have really, I love the search, I love finding them. And then when someone comes along and goes, oh, it's 20,000, I'm like, oh no, I'm walking away from that, it's too expensive, or it's this, or, you know, and I have a ceiling, and I go, for a defender, this is how much I spend.
00:31:33
Speaker
Right. And that's where I'd say even on watches, you know, there's some awesome Instagram accounts of watches that are really cool watches that aren't expensive. You know, there's Bolivar and Bolivar's and there's, I don't know, Yamar's and there's some other weird ones that you go, OK, that's really cool. I've got such a cool vibe from that. Nevada's. I'm trying to think of other brands that I really love.
00:32:03
Speaker
Even when it comes to dress watches, Piaget, there's so much value. It's insane that it's being slept on. But you think Accutrons, there's so many cool watches out there that I think that's where I'm saying on any of this, but same with cars. Don't be only a brand whore on the cars. Be something where you go, this is me knowing what you want.
00:32:29
Speaker
Yes, you would go to this watch or this watch, but I always think of a car meetup or a watch meetup. If you turn up with a brand X car or brand X watch, most people have seen it. Most people have gone, yeah, I've seen it on such and such as wrist or I've seen it multiple times or I've seen that car multiple times, and they'll look at it for a few minutes and then they'll walk on.
00:32:58
Speaker
If you turn up with, and this was real point-and-proof, someone turned up to a car meet that I went to, and he turned up in a beautiful Golf GTI, and it was a Mark 1 or 2, I think it was a Mark 2 Golf GTI, with the Tarson interior beautifully done, not expensive, now probably expensive, but then it wasn't.
00:33:26
Speaker
And everyone, there was the Besse McLarens, there was great vintage Ferraris, there was beautiful Aston DB5s and things like that. Most people, and I would say most people, I was one of them, were just obsessed with this Golf GTI.
00:33:46
Speaker
We were literally mesmerized by the Golf GTI. Now, for me, that is damn cool because you don't see many of them. You don't see them in good quality and you don't see some others. So that's where I think about you fall in love with these cars. And it was so this guy, I mean, this guy was such a kind of a Golf GTI fan.
00:34:11
Speaker
Amazing. So, you know, and that's what I love about cars and why I say to you, like, I love defenders is because a defender or a Land Rover really suits me. It's a car that is a little bit awkward, a little bit kind of nuts. It's a bit kind of like what the hell, but it can go off road and it's very capable. And I think actually it just, you know, you can go and get lost in a defender and you can come off and you can go, this is really cool.
00:34:40
Speaker
You know, and the other thing is so I just I brought a pickup truck defender pickup with that's got a crane on the back. That's amazing. So and I restored it and it's got my family on this and each I've designed logos for each of the family. So there's the they've all got kind of iconic logos, but it's read rehashed with my kids names and my wife's name and
00:35:04
Speaker
things like that but i'm in that in that time defender i'm sorry this is a series two and is a pickup and in it i only listen to brie springsteen and i don't know why but it did the first time i got into it
00:35:19
Speaker
Um, Bruce Springsteen came on, um, on my iPhone, uh, on the music or in the, in the thing. And, and as I say, and I just was driving and I went, this makes me smile. Now I would say to you as driving maximum, probably about 12 miles an hour, but I was giggling and I was like, they're just going this. And so now that, that only has Bruce Springsteen and it's literally, you know, sometimes I kid sit in and go, Oh, not again.
00:35:49
Speaker
He's a heck of a nice guy and arguably one of the only artists that produces amazing driving music for any car. No, exactly. I know I wasn't a Bruce Springsteen fan. That was the weirdest thing. Before this car, I was like, okay, I know one or two of the songs, but it's never my bag. Then after this car, I'm like, it's always, I've got a playlist, it's just Bruce Springsteen.
00:36:18
Speaker
Love it. I think that's the great thing with these cars is the stories.
Bonding Through Building: The Beach Buggy Project
00:36:24
Speaker
My kids are going to have memories on this, and then I can- Just like you did. Exactly. My son and I this summer built a
00:36:37
Speaker
I wish it was a Maya Manx, but it's a fake Maya Manx. It's not, but it is. It's one of those beach buggies, but we built the whole thing together. We built the engine, put it in. We built everything. I was really proud of my son, and it was great to learn together, to do a car. We should have had hoists, and we should have done things in different ways.
00:37:06
Speaker
But even mounting the engine, we got a car jack and some wooden chocks and started just mounting the engine like that. It was the most ridiculous way of doing it, but it was him and I taking wheels off, changing. We put slave wheels on to start off with just so then we could fit everything else. Then we got the wheels painted on the new and everything.
00:37:33
Speaker
And he starts it up, and this is the funniest thing, it's in the garage because he's too young to drive, but he'll start it up and he'll flick it on and he'll just sit there for about half an hour just going, dad, can you hear this bit? And can you hear this and can you hear that? And that for me is just like, you know, it sounds true. Well, yeah, but it's bonding and memories that you can never take away. And I think that's the great thing. Can't put a price on that.
00:38:02
Speaker
Exactly. And it doesn't matter how much. This is a kit car. I mean, you know, it didn't cost me a lot to buy the kit and do it. But Jesus Christ, you know, I took it out. It was September when we finished it. And I took it out for a drive. And him and I, I mean, it's got pink seatbelts of all things. I mean, like he chose all the colors and they're really kind of batshit crazy. But it both of us just smiled all the way through.
00:38:32
Speaker
And it was giggling and, you know, I was all in black and I had these pink seat belts and I was just like, I was like, how fucking cool. And it was just like, it was so what we wanted. You really can't beat a memory like that. No, you definitely can't.
00:38:48
Speaker
So while Land Rover takes up a nice portion of your collection on the other end of the spectrum, so does Ferrari. And what is it about the Ferrari brand that you are so in love with that makes you just keep going back and back and back?
00:39:06
Speaker
I don't know. Recently, it's not making me go back. And that's why I said to you about the Maserati. I think the Maserati is a more beautiful car than what Ferrari is producing today. But that's my own personal opinion. The older ones.
00:39:24
Speaker
Let's go through the Luca Montezamolo, the key three, 355, 456 and 550. They were key cars that really put Ferrari back on the stable of everyone going, I want to buy a Ferrari. If you think before that, before he came in, you know, they weren't as desirable. You think about Mondale 8s and things like that. They weren't as, you know, Ferrari had gone into the
00:39:52
Speaker
the i don't want to call mess i look at the new ones in the room and those ones and they're not they're not grabbing me and get all my god i want my car my life i think you know look at the second and price on some of these things and i think oh you know they're not some of going up in price but most of them i don't go to say oh my god i need it.
00:40:13
Speaker
But it's all my personal opinion because the thing is that vintage cars, I love vintage Ferraris, vintage Porsche, vintage Jags. They're just so cool because you know they're going to break down every tenth drive, but you have a proper sound. It just has a proper emotion to it.
00:40:38
Speaker
and there is something sexy. It doesn't feel like you have to work out how to open the door. There's a door handle there. Well, the best part about a collection, especially in this category, is your opinions are really a reflection of your tastes and what you actually own.
00:40:55
Speaker
Exactly. And people a lot of times don't think it's okay to have opinions when it comes to this stuff because maybe they're not an authority in the industry that they collect in, but that's nonsense. I mean, that's the best part about collecting is that your personal tastes are a reflection of your opinions. Yeah. And the great thing about it is
00:41:15
Speaker
that, you know, these are my opinions. They are very much, you know, I know people that are saying, Oh my God, this is amazing. And, you know, I've got some very good friends in the States that have got some of the best modern Ferrari collection on earth. And I've seen them and I've gone, I respect it.
00:41:33
Speaker
But, you know, I don't know, he had a friend of mine had an amazing roof Porsche in his collection. And I spent most of the time looking at this roof because I was just like, I freaking love that. And it was different. And, you know, and I think that's why, you know, things like the singer and things like other cars have come forward because people are people I think are
00:41:58
Speaker
I go back to gone in 60 seconds thing of a modern Ferrari versus a vintage Ferrari. I think that's the scenario at the moment. It's harder to love and appreciate a vintage car because it takes a lot more. You can love it for the first couple of days until it leaks all over your garage and then you go, oh my God, that's a pain in the ass. But you then fall in love with it in another way.
00:42:27
Speaker
Yeah, you got to have a lot of patience to be a collector of anything mechanical. Yeah, you definitely do. I hope that has answered your question. I know it's kind of a weird way around it, but it's one of those things that I...
00:42:44
Speaker
Of course, you have to love Ferrari if you love cars. I don't know. I think on everything you have to go with what you've got, what you want to live with, not to show off to your neighbor. I got over that since the nightclub days and stuck outside a nightclub. Every time I tried to show off on anything, it always went Pete Tong.
00:43:10
Speaker
And I think that's always the thing is that you have to almost kind of
00:43:16
Speaker
you have to get over that and just get into why I love it. For me, I drive the car straight into London, it goes straight into a garage, and then I come back out and drive out of London. The best car in London is a taxi and a taxi driver because you're going to have a great conversation with them and you're going to sit in the back and you're going to feel very luxurious and comfortable.
00:43:42
Speaker
So for me, driving a car around London, I think, no, I would never do it again. And that's what I love about having a car and driving it into London and driving it out is you just kind of go, actually, that works. And it's not about showing it off. It's just about my appreciation, my love. It doesn't make me smile. That's what it's all about.
00:44:05
Speaker
So you recently, and it still may be a little hush hush because everything's password protected, but you recently launched Bamford Auto Department. Can you tell us a little bit about it or is it still kind of under wraps?
00:44:19
Speaker
Look, Banff Auto Department was my ego going, oh, I want to set up a customizing whatever. And I constantly was wanting to do it. So I wanted to set up this website. I wanted to think about what could we do. And what I've realized is I'm not a genius. I'm not a good businessman. I know about watches. I know my wheelhouse.
00:44:45
Speaker
And I realized that I can't. I'd love to say I can run into another business, but I realize bandwidth. Know what you know and really run with it. And I think having one of my hobbies is now my business, and one of my passions is my business.
00:45:07
Speaker
The auto department I've set up the Bamford Auto Department Instagram and you'll see I just post randomly a car on it once every blue moon and it just makes it's it's cars that I see things that make me smile in the automotive world, but I was going to set up a business that was doing a singer style and I realized I was you know a year and a half in and I
00:45:33
Speaker
We'd spend a bit of money, and I realized it was never, you know, I've done some awesome designs with some great designers. We've done some really cool ideas. But, you know, the, I don't know, the, you can talk the talk or walk the walk. And I always love walking the walk. And I, and this, this, I was like, yeah, we're gonna go and do this, we're gonna do this. And I had to kind of walk away and go, yeah, it's, it,
00:46:01
Speaker
it's going to be way too much money and it's going to it could damage me as you know on bandwidth of myself. So at the moment it's the designs are sitting there and the ideas are there but it's not it's not a like oh my god it's a very cool ideas but not kind of that total thing.
00:46:27
Speaker
Got it. So then sticking to the car and watch collaborations that like the Land Rover one that you just launched, if you were given a second opportunity to do it again, is there another brand that you would love to do that with? Ooh.
Dreams & Aspirations: McLaren and More
00:46:43
Speaker
I'd love to do something with McLaren because I love their technology that they're using in cars. I think that, not to do it again, but I'd love to, McLaren, give me a call if we could work together, please. No. We'll spend on what this episode. No, what I would say to you is I love to see, you think about Richard Mille with McLaren, it's great, but you think about where McLaren
00:47:13
Speaker
their new technologies, their new materials. I'd love to see something, you know, and I think it's, you know, because this was designed, this watch was designed with Land Rover and the Land Rover team. So this is very much been around them, designed with them. So
00:47:32
Speaker
I would love to be in that kind of remit of doing something else and i think the next another one would be if i could ever would be mclaren i mean like how cool to work with someone like mclaren brand that.
00:47:49
Speaker
has just something very cool about them and their R&D department. You think of new materials. It would also be great to think, you know, their design aesthetic, that wonderful, organic kind of aerodynamics. Could you imagine that going into a watch? I mean, how freaking cool. And it's something totally different. Incredible. And it's known competitive with Range Rover and Land Rover.
00:48:16
Speaker
pretty amazing. So speaking of watches before we finish up with the collector's gene run down here, is it true that you tracked down your grandfather's Rolex?
Emotional Connections: Restoring Family Heirlooms
00:48:26
Speaker
Got you quick on this, yes. Yes, I did for my father. Can you tell us how that happened?
00:48:36
Speaker
I can give you a quick, brief thing. It got sold. It got sold. I tried to find it and then I found it. And when I mean to find it, I've got someone that's very good at finding stuff. And I said to him, I said, look, try and find it. It took us a year and a half of finding it. Loads of letters, personal letters from me. And it was sitting in a watch repair place and hadn't been repaired and it was falling to bits.
00:49:03
Speaker
And it was in a glasses case of my grandfather's and I went to the person that owned it and I said, look, you're not going to be able to repair it. I've been told it's unrepairable, but I know that there's a price and I'll pay you what you paid for it. And the person went to me and said, why do you want it? And I said, where's my grandfather's? And they were like, oh, and then there was a back and forth, back and forth. And I got it for a little bit more than what he'd paid for it.
00:49:33
Speaker
Worth every penny.
00:49:34
Speaker
Honestly, and giving it to my father was one of those things that I wanted my father to have something for my grandfather. My watchmakers repaired it and brought it back to life. And it was about, I would say, six months to a year of them, you know, having in the background but doing it. And then we also had to have a gold smith to repair all the damage on the gold. But the sentimental value. And I think that's the thing on all of these cars,
00:50:03
Speaker
Watches they will have history and stories that are inherent in them and I've given you a few stories today, but they that's what's the great thing about these things that that are kind of in these are kind of there's no soul to these products, but there is and we we put these souls into them and we put love into them and we put things and this temperamental and this watch won't work and this and we we kind of
00:50:31
Speaker
we put the soul into it. And that's what I loved about my grandfather's watch. What was your father's reaction when you gave it to him? I think he was quite blown away. I think he was quite blown away, but it was really great. Amazing. All right, George, let's finish up here with the collector's gene rundown. I know it's almost dinner time for you there in London, so let's get going on this. Sound good? I'm very, very happy.
00:50:58
Speaker
All right, what's the one that got away? The one that you missed, you can't get over, could be a car, could be a watch, could be a book, anything that you collect. Well, it is one, but it got away because of price and that was the BMW M1. That for me was something that I got offered one and I wished I'd brought it when I did. And instead I brought something else and I wished I'd brought a BMW M1 because I just love them and they're crazy and they're cool.
00:51:27
Speaker
And there's one or two friends I know who've got one now and I was just going, I could have brought it as X and now it's totally out of my price point. What's the on deck circle? What's next for you in your collecting?
00:51:40
Speaker
You know, I'm collecting on watches, I am collecting limited editions that are done by things like Houdini, Revolution and things like that. I think they are the future big collectors, grail watches that's run by Way Cove that set up Revolution.
00:51:59
Speaker
He's got some great things. Tom and Ty did a watch recently. These things I think are very good because there's a finite amount of them. And I think they are the next collectibles and really are already achieving pricing. But that's the things that I think will wear quite a few of them. But I think that's the collectibles.
00:52:21
Speaker
The Frank Mueller limited edition way just released is amazing. It's absolutely amazing. And so for me, but you think there's only a finite amount of them. He's pushed the boundaries, pushed the brand, and they're not going to do it again. You think even like this Land Rover Bamford edition, it's not going to be done again in that way. This case is only owned by them and us. Amazing.
00:52:48
Speaker
What's the unobtainable, the one that you can't have, maybe it's too expensive or in a museum or a private collection? Money, no object. There is something, and everyone kind of takes the piss out of me because I probably could, well, I can't afford it, but I keep on going, I'm not going to. It's not unattainable, but it is unattainable to me. And that is the V4 Carbon Taikoia Monaco.
00:53:14
Speaker
That and the Dark Lord Monaco, those are the two. Dark Lord Monaco, I've missed out a few times buying it. Now it's totally got out of my price point. Then the V4 as well, it's just a bit above where I want to pay for watches. It's one of those things that I've missed out on both.
00:53:38
Speaker
You're very disciplined. They're the rare raritanium things that you just go and I can look from the side and just go, I love them, but they're not going to sit with me sadly. What's the rewrite? So if you could collect one thing besides any of your current collections, what would it be?
00:53:58
Speaker
Well, you know, for me, I start off as a photographer and I always think collecting photographs is something absolutely amazing. They tell a story and so I think, you know, that would have to be in that always as something, you know, collecting photography. You look at that and you think, actually, this is just, you know, a decisive moment you think about.
00:54:26
Speaker
I don't know, I'm thinking of Stieglitz and, you know, and he did steerage and it was just such an amazing emotive photograph. Margaret Bork White did the most amazing photographs of the, when the Great Depression happened and you'd think some of those things, these faces, you, Don McCullen when he did the,
00:54:51
Speaker
Water on soldier these things are things that you just have to kind of look and go oh my god wow and then you know even down to i don't know sally man that took photographs for children and was you know and it was such a controversial imagery.
00:55:10
Speaker
and things like Jesse Bites and things like that, that you look at these photographs and they're very controversial, but if you see them as a mother taking photographs of her own children, then you kind of go, oh, wow, and that's something. Or Andrea Serrano that then did, I don't know, Piss Christ and things like that, that when they went into museums, people were really shocked by it. Then I was thinking about the first
00:55:39
Speaker
female photographer that used to use calotypes to do her botany and was doing the most beautiful calotypes. Those things, for me, I think are just something that can delight the mind. Who's the goat for you? Who do you look up to in the collecting world?
00:55:56
Speaker
Do you know, I don't because I think in my life, you shouldn't be jealous of anyone. And I think if you look up to someone that's collecting, you go, God, I wish I had that or I had that. You know, there is someone who's always going to have a bigger collection. There's always going to be someone that's got a better car or a cooler car or a cooler watch or a better watch or better books or whatever it is.
00:56:19
Speaker
So I kind of don't look up to someone. There's a few people that I go, oh my God, wow. And I think there's some of the good American collectors. And I even think of some of the people that have got some great Rod Emery cars that I go, God, that's absolutely cool. There's one or two people of my age that will be nameless, but there's a
00:56:45
Speaker
very good friend of mine in Miami that's got an awesome collection of cars. I admire what he's got, but I don't covet it and go, oh my God, I want it all. I want that. I look at them and I go, yeah, they suit him. Some people come to my defender garage and go, oh God, wow, this is a mess of cars. Then other people come in and go, oh my God, I'm jealous of that. I always say to them, don't be jealous of anything.
00:57:10
Speaker
I can walk into any garage and see one single car and go, wow, that's cool. That Golf GTI was one of the coolest. I'm talking to you today and saying that's a memory. I went on a run yesterday. I was running around London.
00:57:30
Speaker
I saw the most beautiful early beetle with the twin rear window, beautifully preserved black with this wonderful interior. I'm still thinking of that car and it sat on the side of the road, parked up, and I just went to myself and I went, wow, and that is so damn cool. I could admire without going, God, I need that, or I think this is something I aspire to have.
00:57:59
Speaker
Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. Do you enjoy the chase or the sale more, the hunt or the ownership?
00:58:06
Speaker
I love both. I think the chase is so cool, but the ownership, I love finding something and I love the rebuild, the experimental on the rebuild, knowing you find the right person and doing that. Both things are the chase because they've both got to chase a part of them. Most of my cars need love when I brought them. I spend time rebuilding and
00:58:36
Speaker
and saying this year we'll do the brakes and we'll do the engine and then next year we'll do the gearbox and and then the interior needs love then the exterior and and that's what I think is so that's the chase as well so both sides have got the chase so we're gonna go with the chase on that one most importantly do you feel that you were born with the collectors gene
00:58:59
Speaker
I think, yes. I think, you know, earlier on I collected comic books and, you know, and my son was trading Pokemon as an early age. Yeah. I think, I think you, I think strangely, maybe because you're born into a family that collects that it, it becomes inherent to you. Yeah. Not abnormal.
The Joy of Collecting
00:59:25
Speaker
George, thank you so much for coming on the collector's team radio. I know we're on opposite sides of the world, so I appreciate you taking the time out to come and chat with us today. It's been an honor and an absolute pleasure. This has been a hell of a lot of fun. Thank you so much. And thank you for actually getting me to think about why do I collect? I'm now just kind of like almost sitting in the corner going, oh my God, what the hell am I collecting? What am I doing? Hey, if I can happen anyway, then I'm doing my job.
00:59:53
Speaker
I feel like I've had my own therapy session, so thank you very much, but I'm now kind of worse off than before. But thank you so much. I think, look, collecting whatever you're doing in life, it is about the enjoyment. It is about, does that thing bring you joy? And if it does, you know, what's the point of life if you can't have enjoyment? You heard it from the man himself, George Bamford. Can't wait to have you on again. Thank you so much. Let's rock and roll.
01:00:25
Speaker
All right, that does it for this episode. Thanks for listening everybody. This has been Collectors Gene Radio, signing off.