text: Petrol heads suffering Top Gear withdrawals will be pleased to know the car show-sized hole in their lives will soon be filled by the return of For the Love of Cars for a second series. The Channel 4 programme, hosted by actor Philip Glenister and car designer Ant Anstead, celebrates the duo's love affair with classic cars. And each episode looks at the history of various types of vehicles, as the pair give old-bangers a new lease of life by restoring them to their former glory. Actor Philip Glenister and car designer Ant Anstead return to present a new series of For The Love of Cars . A teaser from the first episode shows Glenister – perhaps most recognisable behind the wheel of a red Audi Quattro while playing Gene Hunt in Ashes to Ashes – test driving an Aston Martin Vantage. Revving the engine before taking off at speed around a winding country road, Glenister appears to wipe the colour from Anstead's face before stating: 'This is Bond.' The second series also sees the pair broaden their horizon by working on a number of foreign-manufactured cars as opposed to just primarily British ones. Additionally, they work on more than one vehicle per episode and complete stalled restoration projects, instead of just finding dilapidated cars to fix. The finished products are then auctioned off at the end of every programme, and Anstead admits that the quality of the restorations make it hard for the owners to let go. He said: ‘You have to remember, these cars have a special place in the hearts of these people, for various different reasons. Glenister and Anstead speed around a bend as they test drive a classic Aston Martin Vantage . ‘For somebody to let go of something that important to them is hard enough, but when they see the results at the end of the restoration, it’s really tough. ‘These are jobs that they’ve not been able to finish themselves.’ The cars featured in the series include a quintessentially British Aston Martin DBS, which was brought back to life after been recovered from a barn in Oxfordshire. For The Love of Cars series two is branching out beyond just British vehicle makeovers . And a Rover SD1 police car – the classic panda car of the early 1980s – which features in a  race conducted by the show’s presenters, to find out what side of the law had a speed advantage. The pair also restore two of the most iconic cars to ever come out of Europe – a run-down Fiat 500 and a VW Beetle. The first episode of For the Love of Cars will broadcast on Channel 4 on Sunday, April 19 at 8pm.
target: The second series is hosted by Philip Glenister and Ant Anstead .
  Each episode takes a look at the history of various types of car .
  The pair return a number of old-bangers  back to their former glory .
  They also help people complete their stalled restoration projects .