Jim Richardson's professional experience with cars actually began as an assembler at the Ford Motor plant in Pico Rivera while attending the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.

In 1970, he began working for AARP as a graphic designer and later as Art Director for their national magazine and other AARP publications. Although Jim's love affair with cars really started in his teens, his interest in auto restoration began with the restoration of a 1939 Packard Coupe he had acquired in the mid-70's. After taking several awards for his '39 Packard, he went on to restore other American classics from Ford, Chevrolet and lesser known manufacturers. To ensure that his restorations were accurate, Jim sought out old master mechanics and body men who had worked on these vintage cars when new; picking up tricks, techniques and lore in the process. Over time, Jim had several restorations under his belt as well as several file drawers filled with notes on a variety of classic cars.

In 1995, Jim left AARP and graphic design to concentrate full time on his career as an automotive writer. His first book, The Tri-Five Chevy Handbook, published in 1998, was an instant best seller. He has since gone on to write five more books on auto repair and restoration as well as hundreds of articles for a number of automotive magazines the world over. Jim was also a regular on the "My Classic Car" TV show with Dennis Gage and "Classic Car Garage" with Jeff Shade.

Jim lives in Long Beach, CA with his wife, Bette, and has a second home in New Zealand.

Jeff Shade is the Executive Producer and Host. A native of Dayton Ohio, Jeff has been in broadcasting for 30 years as a radio-host, TV personality, voice-actor, and narrator. His radio and TV career has taken him from Dayton to Providence, Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles. Today his voice is heard on numerous TV commercials and long-form programs.

Jeff is also the Technical Editor and author of the monthly restoration feature for Car Collector Magazine. He’s also written for Hemmings Motor News, Old Cars Weekly, and authored a chapter of the book, “Cobra in the Barn.” He’s done several complete restorations and many partial jobs. Jeff’s owned more than 60 domestic and foreign vehicles and prefers to drive vintage cars as daily transportation.

He and his wife Nancy split time living in Dayton, Ohio and Los Angeles, where their children reside.

About Us

“Classic Car Garage” is the first TV show to focus on the restoration of collectible or “classic” cars. It began production in 1997 in Los Angeles with Jeff Shade as host. The first series of 13 weeks followed the complete restoration of a 1968 California Special Mustang. That series also introduced viewers to Tom Horvath, a respected paint and body expert in Southern California. The initial series met with enthusiastic response from fans across the Los Angeles area where it was first broadcast. Subsequent shows have been seen on the cable network The Outdoor Channel, as well as in syndication on broadcast TV across the country. Classic Car Garage TV is a production of Auto Media Productions, LLC with offices in Long Beach California. Future plans are in production for more TV shows, how-to DVDs, and online magazine.