THE demise of four star petrol may cause mayhem for many motorists, but for one man, it could fuel a fortune.
Jim Cowell, from Longton, has the solution - and it doesn't involve expensive additives or a motor change.
The businessman, pictured, has launched a range of gadgets which, when placed in the petrol tank of any car, enables it to run on unleaded petrol - even if it has traditionally used diesel or leaded petrol.
Selling for little more than £40, the device has already been snapped by several London clients and Lancashire Police, who have used the gadgets on their motorbikes to reduce emissions.
And with the end of four star just a few months away, Jim is preparing for his business to go into overdrive.
Jim said: "The device is so incredibly simple and will save people a fortune. "The gadget stabilises the flow of petrol and balances it out so that cars run more economically and let out fewer emissions, also converting fuel into unleaded."
Other devices are also on the market, but can cost up to twice as much.
The gadget is even being used by firms to make company cars more efficient.
He added: "Many firms are attaching them to cars which have done more than 100,000 miles and they run so much better.
"It is now time to make them accessible to the public."
The enterprise stemmed from a chance encounter with a fellow member of a bartering company.
Jim snapped up a batch of the gadgets, which are tin alloy catalysts, and now has a constant supply to keep up with demand.
He added: "I am a member of a bartering group, where we buy spare things off other people in the group for barter tokens.
"These were made available to me and I snapped them up."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article