John ‘Fuzz’ Townshend has been named a Patron of Transport Museum Wythall. He is the second recent high-profile appointee to that position and follows National Lottery and Strictly Come Dancing ‘voice of god’ Alan Dedicoat, who was installed earlier in 2025.
Mr Townshend is best known for his work as presenter of Car SOS on Chanel 4/More 4 and National Geographic. He has a lifelong passion for classic vehicles and their restoration, with a particular interest in buses, and first joined Transport Museum Wythall in 1981.
His career commenced as an apprentice bus engineer with the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. After completion of that process he became a fully-fledged mechanic at the operator’s Stourbridge and then Dudley depots.
From there Mr Townshend began a music career where he achieved success in the singles and album charts with bands in the UK and the United States.
Despite that, a passion for classic vehicles never waned. His next move was into journalism where he became Technical Editor of Practical Classics before a move to freelance and the founding of his own classic car restoration business, Westgate Classics.
In that capacity he was spotted by a TV production company and was soon presenting Car SOS from his new SOS Workshop in Oldbury. In addition, Mr Townshend works on the Shed and Buried series of shows on Discovery and Quest.
Mr Townshend has in the past co-owned one former Walsall Daimler Fleetline and owned two more examples of the model. He recently purchased a Royal Blue Bristol LS coach.
Speaking about the appointment, Transport Museum Wythall Chairman Seb Amos says: “We look forward to working with Fuzz Townshend as the museum continues to grow in stature.
“His experience in the classic vehicle world, particularly in the restoration arena, and his knowledge of the wider sector and its potential media opportunities, will be of great help to the museum.”
