HE may not have a garage the size of a small country, but Bentley-loving businessman Alan Greenhalgh could be the Ribble Valley's answer to the Sultan of Brunei!
For the kitchen manufacturing boss and the Sultan have one thing in common -- a love of classic cars.
Alan, who runs kitchen manufacturers J & J Ormerod in Rossendale, has just snapped up his 13th new Bentley.
The father-of-three picked up his latest new motor from the Bentley Ribble Valley showroom in Rishton last week.
The pearl silver Bentley Arnarge Red Label, with a price tag of £150,000, is the latest in a line of shiny new machines to be parked outside the the Greenhalgh residence in Reed in the Ribble Valley.
But Alan, who likes change his car for the latest model every three years, claims he is not car mad.
He said: "I'm not a car fanatic, it's something I've always done and I like to keep up. I use it every day for work, so it's a working car, not just one I keep in the garage."
The new Bentley boasts a 6.75 litre turbo-charged V8 engine and can do 0 to 60mph in 5.9 seconds, accelerating to 100mph nine seconds later. It has a top speed of 155mph -- not that Alan will be doing anything like that round the streets of Rishton and Reed.
Hand-assembled in Crewe, it will replace his current car, a graphite grey Bentley Turbo RT, which has reached it's three year expiry date and is up for sale for a mere £55,000.
"They lose their value quite quickly," said Alan. "They depreciate while you're standing there."
But despite the luxury hide and polished hardwood interior, Alan is not above giving family members a ride -- even family pet corgis Sadie and Faye.
"They always sit in the front footwell and are quite well behaved," said Alan.
"I've been running the business since 1965 and was in the business for 10 years before I bought my first one.
"I've never had a serious accident and I've only broken down once in 25 years. I blew the engine up -- but it wasn't really my fault.
"I like to change it every three years or so, always for a new one.
"Quite simply it's the best car in the world -- and you can't get any better than that."
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