Tom Hartley: The Dealmaker

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It is a fascinating story, very inspiring being able to achieve whatever you can and I am an example of that. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth I moved to the area in 2009 and lived in Mytholmroyd and I heard a bit about this local mythology but there wasn’t that much information about it, and I didn’t look too deeply in to it. One day my wife, Adele, who’s also a writer, was visiting a place called The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle in Durham, she walked in to the library and was looking along the shelves and there was one book that didn’t have a spine on it. She pulled it out, put it on the table and it fell open at the trial notes of the Cragg Vale coiners, so she was reading them from 1770 and she came home that day and said ‘You know the coiners story?’ and I said ‘yes I know a bit about it’ and she said ‘that would make a brilliant TV series, you should write it’ and I said ‘well I don’t know how to write telly, but I could have a go and write a novel and maybe Shane Meadows could film it one day with some of the actors from This Is England.’ That was in 2014, and it wasn’t even a plan, it was sort of a joking pipe dream really.

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These days his base boasts two showrooms, one with a glass ceiling offering a 3D experience, as well as a helicopter pad to fly in his high-profile clients. Dubbing himself ‘The Dealmaker’ which is also the title of his book, Tom tells his story of life growing up with a traditional Romany family in Glasgow, to making his first million by the age of 17.Starstudded customers include Rod Stewart, Elton John and golfing ace Rory McIlroy. He has even sold a Ferrari once belonging to Hollywood move star Nicholas Cage. Shane Meadows, writer and director, on his vision: I really wanted to delve into the history of this story and the circumstances that lead to an entire West Yorkshire community risking their lives to put food in their children’s bellies. Set in the moorland hills of 18th Century Yorkshire, England, is a country divided. As the aristocracy are building the first cotton mills and factories, the common people are starving. David Hartley (Michael Socha) has been away from his family’s remote moor-top dwelling for seven years. On his journey home to Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire, David gets lost in the moors. He’s dragging a mysterious looking bag of tools with him and on his last legs. I was approached by a few publishers. I do get recognised as the name Tom Hartley is so well known.

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Similar to what Stevie says about connecting to the story, it’s the community having to really pull together and do something to get themselves out of a situation. It’s just a great story, and the bending the law bit, I’ve always been a bit on the edge of the rule book, so for me, I like the slightly rogue side of it as well. Anthony Welsh Long-time friend and chief executive of South Derbyshire District Council Frank McArdle heaped praise on the businessman.

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Personally, he is a great guy with a great business and he deserves this book to be his day in the sun.” But new Type Approval Import regulations, which meant only official franchised dealers could import and register cars in the UK, pretty much killed Tom’s business off. “I basically went from hero to zero overnight because I had spotted a gap in the market, but I became too successful and was brought down by the establishment,” he said. The fascinating life of Tom Hartley, 59, has been laid bare in his first autobiography detailing his astonishing rise to the top to become one of the world’s most successful luxury car dealers. It was during the workshopping process with the actors I realised there was also a story to tell leading up to Ben’s incredible book. A prequel that not only allowed us to understand ‘why’ the Cragg Vale Coiners did what they did, but maybe fall in love with them a smidge while they did it. It may have turned into one of the biggest crimes in British history, but it was pulled off by a bunch of destitute farmers and weavers doing what they had to to survive, and I think people will resonate with that.