WHEN motorist George Lynam bought himself a nice little runner back in 1970 little did he know he would still be driving it 46 years later.

Next month on June 1, Mr Lynam's beloved Triumph 1300 will be 46-years-old and it is still in showroom condition.

The 70-year-old of Stratton St Margaret bought the white front-wheel drive saloon just before his 25th birthday and has remained the sole owner of the vehicle ever since.

“It looks as good as I can possibly get it. It is in perfect condition, good as new.” said Mr Lynam who has only clocked up 91,600 miles in his pride and joy.

He bought the car for £1,000 from John Busby’s garage in Fairford in 1970 and the garage has long since closed.

“I’m not sure exactly how much it’s worth now, but if I had to guess I’d probably say somewhere between £12,000 and £15,000,” he said.

The car has attended many weddings over the years, becoming something of a family tradition.

“My wife and I used it for our wedding in 1973 and one of my sons used it for his wedding too. My niece is due to be married soon and she’ll be using it for hers,” said Mr Lynam.

He estimates that the car, which has a stainless steel exhaust pipe and a gear box in top working order, still has about 95 per cent of its original parts, including the same engine.

He says he didn't buy the car with any long-term plans but just liked the look of it at the time.

“It gets driven fairly often, once or twice a week around town to keep it going,” he said.

Mr Lynam is a member of two motoring clubs, Club Triumph and Triumph Dolomite, and will be attending this year’s Churchill Vintage Classic Car Show in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in June.

"People are very impressed when they see the car at shows," he said. "It reminds them of the car their parents or grandparents used to drive, only this one is in better condition."

Also in the diary is the Bath Festival of Motoring on June 18 and 19 at Walcot Rugby Ground, Bath.

On the days when the Triumph stays in the garage, Mr Lynam drives his three litre BMW 3 Series.

In its heyday, the Triumph 1300 was a popular car. From 1965 it was manufactured in Coventry and was intended to be a replacement for the Triumph Herald.

It is estimated that there are only 159 Triumph 1300s currently on Britain’s roads.

Similar models include the Triumph 1300 TC and the Dolomite 1300. However, in 1970 the 1300 and 1300TC were replaced by the Triumph 1500 and in 1973 production of front wheel drive Triumphs came to an end.