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Alex Eckford speaks to the former Top Gear presenter about the forthcoming awards, his love of second-hand motors, and how Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond tried to get a monkey to drive a car.

"I'm really excited about the awards," says Jason. "Used cars are my specialist subject – I've really got the passion for them. It's loads of fun to pick up a bargain and know you've saved yourself tons of money."

Voted for by the public, the winners of the Auto Trader Used Car Awards will be announced next month, and broadcast on ITV 4's Used Car Roadshow – the show which Jason co-hosts with Penny Mallory.

"The whole process of putting the awards together has been really satisfying," says Jason. "It's good to know it's not the most expensive cars which have won – it's the cars people really love.

"There’s no agenda - it's real cars for real people."

On air since 2005, the Used Car Roadshow is now in its third series.

"We've driven some great cars and met some great people," says Jason. "We've driven over 30,000 miles in cars in more than 60 shows. We'll be letting our hair down if we make it to 100 shows.

"We've got a couple of great 'Best Of' shows coming up, including a load of outtakes from the programme. They never show us the mistakes before they go out, so it'll be interesting to see. I hope there's not too many of my mistakes on there!"

When Top Gear was re-launched in its current format in 2001, Jason was asked to present the used car bargains sections of the show for one series. Jason speaks highly of his experiences of filming the show.

"It was very intense, and the long hours meant I had to spend a lot of time away," says Jason. "But it was a fantastic show to work on. Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond are exactly the same off camera as they are on it. Some of their ideas were sheer lunacy.

"I remember once walking into a conversation between them and the producer about getting a monkey to drive a car. After a very excited and animated conversation they decided it wouldn’t be a good idea as monkeys have loose bowels.

"The decided a bear would be a much better idea, and it could be kept happy with a bucket of prawns."

Buying used cars remains a passion for Jason.

“Every car you see on the road is a used car,” says Jason. “That’s an awful lot of cars. Most people at some point in their lives will buy a second-hand car.”

 So what are Jason’s top tips for used car buyers?

“Firstly, take your time,” says Jason. “It’s a cliché, but I warn people ‘Buy at haste, repent at leisure’. My second piece of advice would be never to buy a car without driving it. The test drive is absolutely essential.

“And never pay the asking price – there’s always a deal to be done.”

See the Used Car Roadshow tonight on ITV4 at 6pm.

The Auto Trader Used Car Awards will be broadcast on the show in November.

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Auto Trader Used Car Awards