Mat Armstrong shares wholesome reason why he'll always choose to buy a crashed car over a new one from a showroom
Published on Apr 20, 2026 at 7:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Apr 20, 2026 at 7:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
YouTuber Mat Armstrong always seems to choose a crashed car over a brand new supercar, but there is a wholesome reason why.
The YouTuber has collected a wide array of cars over the years, and is currently working on a Bugatti Chiron and Veyron, with the former causing a lot of controversy online.
He could just go out and get cars that don’t need much work, but chooses to buy wrecks and get them running again.
While chatting with the Cars & Money podcast, Armstrong explained why he does what he does.
Why Mat Armstrong buys crashed cars and not brand new ones
Mat Armstrong spoke in the interview about how he got where he is now by buying wrecked cars and repairing them.
“I could save up the money and buy an immaculate Bugatti off the showroom,” said Armstrong.
“I just feel like that’s a cheat,” he added.
Buying the wrecked cars does save him money, even with the repair costs factored in.
But Armstrong’s main reason for doing what he does is to save the cars.
“When I get the cars, they are at their worst, and I make them better,” said the YouTuber.
“It’s already had the worst happen to it, I’m not going to harm its value,” he added.
So, for Armstrong, he sees himself as rescuing cars that have hit rock bottom and may otherwise be scrapped.
Armstrong has plenty on his plate at the moment
The YouTuber has a lot of cars on the go right now.
Fixing a crash-damaged Bugatti Chiron, which has caused all sorts of controversy.
“I’ll see a clip saying Bugatti said you can’t split this car in half.
“Then it will clip me splitting it in half,” said Armstrong.
This also led to some back and forth with the current CEO of Bugatti, Mate Rimac.
Armstrong is also repairing his new Bugatti Veyron, which needs major transmission surgery to get back on the road.
That led to more drama, with Bugatti not willing to supply him the parts to fix the car up.
Despite these controversies, Armstrong still loves repairing a crashed car, and saving them from being scrapped.
A history of Bugatti
1909: Italian-born designer Ettore founds his eponymous automaker in Molsheim, Alsace (then part of the German Empire, now France)
1924: The company introduces the Type 35, which goes on to become one of the most successful racing cars in history
1936: Production begins on the Type 57SC Atlantic, an automotive masterpiece designed by Ettore’s son, Jean
1939: Tragedy strikes when Jean dies in a testing accident, plunging the marque into a decline worsened by the outbreak of WWII
1947: The founding father passes away, and without a clear successor, the original company eventually ceases operations
1987: Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquires the dormant brand rights, builds a new factory, and later launches the EB110 supercar
1998: The Volkswagen Group purchases the rights to the name, returning the automaker to its original home in Molsheim, France
2005: The Veyron 16.4 is launched, shattering automotive records and becoming the world’s fastest production car
2021: The brand enters a joint venture with Croatian electric hypercar maker Rimac to pioneer an electrified future
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
