MAKING A MARC
Who is Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley on Wheeler Dealers?
Priestley has worked with a famous Finnish racer
MARC Priestley is a former race mechanic who rocketed to fame on the TV show Wheeler Dealers.
The show has been a worldwide success and has undergone several changes over the years, including the shock departure of presenter Edd China.
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A love of cars
Marc was born on October 6, 1976, in Bromley.
After studying Motor Vehicle Technology, he worked as an apprentice race mechanic for a series of small motor sport teams in London.
He soon started working with the Speedsport team in British Formula 3 and eventually became chief mechanic at Orbit Motorsport in Formula 3000.
By 1999, Marc had been hired by McLaren as a test team mechanic.
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His first race weekend with the brand was at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix where he changed the car's front wing.
Marc also worked as the Number Two mechanic for Kimi Räikkönen before being a part of the team which helped Lewis Hamilton win the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The mechanic left McLaren at the end of the 2009 season, to pursue a media career.
Marc's incredible career
Fans across the UK were first introduced to Marc through his online blog and for his appearances on several racing shows.
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In 2014, Marc presented the series One Second in F1 Racing which examined the technical side of motor racing.
Just a year later, he fronted the Discovery Channel series Driving Wild which explored a variety of motorsports from around the world.
‘A very special feeling’, says Wheeler Dealers star Marc Priestley as he gets emotional behind the wheel
Fronting Wheeler Dealers
Marc is most known for his stint on Wheeler Dealers.
He joined the show in 2021 as the show were seeking a replacement for Ant Anstead.
On the sporting programme, Marc and his co-presenting Mike Brewer have to fix up old cars on a budget before selling them to a new owner.
Marc's predecessor Ant had replaced Edd China, who had fronted the show for 13 years.
Edd made a dramatic exit in 2017, after criticising the creative direction that the show appeared to be heading in.
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Marc AKA Elvis
Marc is often referred to as "Elvis" by his friends.
According to the presenter, he picked up the nickname at school when there were several children named Marc in his class.
''It’s nothing to do with my singing, I can tell you that.
''The name goes back to my primary school years where there were a number of Marc’s in my class.
''Somebody thought Priestley sounded like Presley and the name Elvis stuck.''
''I don’t expect people in the F1 paddock know me as anything other than Elvis.''
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Marital bliss
Marc married his wife Clare in 2013 at Christmas time.
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In an adorable Instagram post, he shared that they spent their 10-year anniversary in the Lake District.
However, he joked that they spent 9 hours in traffic and were caught in a "major storm", all before jumping into Lake Ullswater.
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