When motor enthusiast John Durrance snapped up his dream car he thought it would be the last one off the production line.

But Mr Durrance's pride and joy has been picked from hundreds of entrants in a national competition to be recreated in miniature for a new line of classic collectors' toys.

It was love at first sight when the now retired stationery salesman, who lives in Hove, jumped into the passenger seat of a Wolseley 6 as he hitch-hiked across the country.

He said: "When I was a youngster I used to do that sort of thing and I'll always remember being picked up in a Wolseley. I sat there I remember thinking to myself, 'I'll have to get hold of one for myself'."

He was only just able to realise his dream. The automatic model he bought in August 1975 was one of the last to roll off the production line before the Wolseley company folded.

He said: "I went to the showroom and there were just three left, a green one, a mustard coloured one and the cobalt blue one which I chose.

"It was the last one they ever made and they had knocked £900 off the asking price, so I bought it for £2,000. Six months later the name was scrapped."

Despite its age the car is still in mint condition with less than 10,000 miles on the clock and spends most of its life in the garage, wheeled out for a regular shine and polish.

Mr Durrance said: "Soon after I'd bought it I moved to Brighton to look after an elderly aunt and with all the work I was doing I didn't really have time to take her out.

"I drove an Escort for work, which is a nice car but it's in a different class."

Mr Durrance saw the competition advertised in car sellers' bible Classic Car Mart. Organisers were looking for vehicles from the Sixties and Seventies which had not yet been made as die-cast models.

He said: "I thought I'd have a go but I never dreamt I would win. I was thrilled when they sent me a letter saying my car had been chosen."

He is waiting for designers from model car firm Lledo to come down to the coast and measure up his vehicle for the1:43 scale model.

He said: "I've collected model cars since the Thirties and I've got about 50 of them. It's exciting to think I'll soon be adding my own car to the collection."