A classic car enthusiast has celebrated his car’s 40th MOT at the same garage where it had its first test.
Paul Smith has taken his 60-year-old Rover P6 to Orchard Garage Limited, in Heath Lane, Dartford since 1984.
Mr Smith’s car is actually exempt from MOTs because of its age but passed with flying colours, and the 66-year-old is vowing to keep going to make sure it is “ready to go”.
The car-lover also has an identical Rover P6 with a consecutive number plate and his friend owns the third vehicle, although it’s in a derelict state.
Over the past six decades Mr Smith, from Dartford, said the car has been “like a brother” to him.
He has driven it to rallies in Europe and around the UK and last year it took pride of place at the NEC’s 60th anniversary of the Rover P6 in Birmingham.
He said said: “ Since the age of 18 I have owned Rover cars. I take them apart and do the mechanical work needed to put them back together then I get a garage to weld and paint and restore them to new.”
But Mr Smith admits he doesn’t like to use the cars for trips to the shops or beach.
“They are kept in the garage. I don’t like to leave them anywhere,” he said.
Instead he uses the Rover 75 he brought from Orchard Garage Limited owners Pam and Geoff Manwaring, as his runaround.
“I just love Rovers,” he said.
