Russell Purchase has just celebrated his 20th season and 10 years of popular Channel 31 series Bumper2Bumper.
The Lancefield car enthusiast, known to fans as Rusty, began the series as a passion project and now at least 10,000 people tune in to the series on a Thursday night.
It evolved after talking to colleagues with a shared interest in all things cars. Rusty floated the idea of a television series and soon after receiving enthusiasm, found himself contacting Channel 31 to make it a reality.
With no experience behind a camera, or in front of one, Rusty was about to become the star and producer of a show to take his passion to a whole new level. In fact, it’s exactly what made him the perfect fit for such a role.
Audiences have enjoyed watching Rusty’s style and approach evolve over time.
They’ve watched him speed through interviews in Gone in 60 Seconds, rummage through gloveboxes in Rusty’s Glovebox and interview people about their pride and joy in Car Tell.
One segment that has grown along with its subjects over the years is Rusty’s Rhymes. A fan favourite, it saw Rusty ending the day by reading nursey rhymes with a car twist to his daughter Ella before bedtime.
At the beginning of the series, Ella was about five years old. She’s now 17 and these days hears Rusty’s dad jokes instead.
Ella has remained connected to the show, now occasionally assisting her dad with production/filming.
“Ella comes to a lot of car shows. People have seen her growing up on B2B,” Rusty said.
“People often recognise me and Ella, and say they love the show, and that’s very rewarding. It’s more about the passion for me.”
Rusty works full-time in procurement and admits he’s “more of an introvert outside of B2B” but attending car shows has enabled him to connect with like-minded people and share a passion.
B2B maintains a grassroots feel with various local car shows featured including shows at Hanging Rock, Lancefield, Romsey, Kilmore and Wallan. Rusty has also travelled the state and further afield for car shows of interest.
The show has featured a range of makes and models from Australian Muscle Cars to hot rods and custom cars.
Heading into his next season, Rusty said his focus was now on producing a better quality show, improving equipment and seeking sponsorship.
