MOTOR ENTHUSIAST Alan Farey is busy at work on his pride and joy, a car which turns heads at car shows.

His 2014 Audi S3 might appear like a run-of-the-mill German hatchback but it is a special car which garners lots of attention.

“It has a 450bhp engine compared to the 300bhp in normal S3s,” said Mr Farey, 70, who bought the car from a motoring website.

He was in America  travelling the famous Route  66 when he saw it for sale in the UK.

Alan Farey with his Audi S3 which is heavily customised and worth £55,000 and will be appearing at The Yorkshire Post motor show.

The car has uprated brakes from a Porsche, Ferrari leather upholstery, stainless steel exhaust and a ‘virtual cockpit’ which did not appear in mainstream Audi models until later.

He paid £30,000 for it. It is now insured for £50,000, says Mr Farey, a retired plumber who lives in Huddersfield.

He is careful not to scratch it with traditional wiping down. “People don’t realise they are causing scratches to the paintwork,” he said.

He is getting the car ready for its next outing which he expects will be at the Brooklands garden centre in Scholes near Holmfirth in August. “A lot of shows are being cancelled,” he said.

Huddersfield enthusiast’s pride and joy is not your average hatchback