A VINTAGE car enthusiast from East Lancashire who fell in love with a 76-year-old motor while on a holiday 5,000 miles away, had it shipped all the way home.

John Gillett, 64, of Woodcrest, Wilpshire, spotted the ancient car while in Texas visiting his son, Andrew.

John and his wife Pauline, 62, were in Fort Worth having a drink round the pool when a friend of Andrew's mentioned the 1926 Model T Ford, the world's first mass-produced car.

John said: "I couldn't believe it. I have always wanted one. It was running but in poor condition". But he didn't let that deter him from transporting it 5,000 miles back home.

The retired product manager for Samlesbury-based British Aerospace bought all the spare parts he needed in Texas so he could get to work on the car as soon as it arrived.

He paid $4,000 for it and almost £1,000 in shipping costs to have the Model T transported from Houston, Texas. It arrived in the London docks six weeks later. From there he hired a low loader and drove to his Wilpshire home.

He said: "It was in a very bad state. You could even push your finger through the metal at the bottom of the car. Parts are easy to find in Texas so I got what I needed and strapped them to the side of the car before it was put in the container."

John has no aspirations to acquire any other classic cars because he says it could cost him his marriage. He added: "Pauline has warned she will divorce me if I ever do it again, so as much as I would like to I won't be buying any more."

He took his cherished motor to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Towneley Hall on Sunday afternoon, part of an impressive cavalcade of classic car enthusiasts.