Revved up reverend Gary Ingram is turning heads with his latest set of wheels.
The black Renault Clio's personalised number plate Y2 REV has raised quite a few smiles amongst his new flock.
The 50-year-old's car also sports a few more jolly pointers to its owner's calling in life.
The back shelf is home to a nodding Jesus and another nodding vicar.
A sticker in one of the windows proudly proclaims “Vicar on Board” .
But the father-of-two admitted one of the figures that makes up his holy trinity is missing at the moment.
He managed to behead nodding Mary while loading parcels into the back of the car recently.
She is undergoing repairs and should reappear with her head glued back on alongside her son and the vicar before Christmas.
When Gary heard he would appear on Page Three of The Argus print edition today he joked: “I have always wanted to be a Page Three model and now it has finally happened.
“I am a great believer in using humour in my faith. It’s a wonderful tool to help make people feel at ease.
“To make people laugh is a good thing and that is why I use the number plate and all the other bits in the car.”
Gary was brought up in Worthing and has returned to the area after 11 years as the rector of Morecambe Parish Church, Lancashire.
He became vicar at St Andrews Church, Ferring, in March to enable him be closer to his elderly parents.
Denys, 84, and Betty, 79, bought the car for their son when he was short of money following his divorce.
But he is keeping the secret of how much they paid for the number plate between the three of them and the Lord.
Gary said: “The car raises a lot of smiles when parishioners see it and they have joked about it with me.
“I don't think I would have the courage to go up on stage so I don't see myself as a frustrated comedian but there is often a joke in my sermons.”
However, he was persuaded to “do a turn” at Ferring Amateur Dramatic Society's Christmas party on Saturday.
He appeared in a rendition of Three Little Maids From School from the Mikado to cheers from the audience.
Gary added: “I have to say I am a little sceptical about vicars having personalised number plates.
“But when my parents bought the car for me because I was skint I thought it was hilarious.
“I think they bought it because they knew it would amuse me.”
Have you got a quirky personalised number plate? Leave a comment below.
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