Hillman Minx: The Kryptonite Factor host Gordon Burns' fond memories of his first car

Gordon, 82, was a newspaper journalist in his native Northern Ireland at the time.

“I was 19,” he said. “So I think that was 1961. I couldn’t wait to get driving.

"I had a job on the Belfast Telegraph which I got after school at the age of 18 and I I worked on the weekly East Antrim Times as part of the training.

"That was in Larne which was about 40 miles away so I really needed a car.

“I sorted out the higher purchase (HP) and I was away. I even remember the registration number which was 381 CLE.

“I hadn’t passed my test then so I had to get someone else to drive it home from the showroom.

“Much later in life I was talking to Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Manchester United manager, and somehow we got on to our early days and it turns out he had a very similar car at about the same time.”

Gordon, who was the North West’s news presenter for many years, said: “I love driving. I have been driving a long time, and I think I’m a better driver now than I ever was.

“I have a thing about Jaguars and I have an F-Pace now. I used to drive saloon Jaguars at one time but I like the F-Pace now.”

He says he drives a lot to Norfolk and back which is a long trip from his Manchester home but he loves being on the road.

He says people still speak to him about The Krypton Factor which ran from 1977 to 1995 and he is sorry that it ended.

He says the show was successful until the final series when the people in charge tried to make it into an arena-type show to attract younger people but all they did was alienate the older audience.