Tony Christie: Yorkshire legend on how his life-long love of cars started with an Austin A40

“It was good to be mobile at that age. I was working at the steelworks but I was also singing in clubs so I was very busy.

"It was good to be able to go home in my own car rather than buses or trains. The first car I drove was my uncle’s. Cars were few and far between, so I was very lucky to have access to one.”

It started an infatuation with cars which saw him own a Rolls-Royce and no end of exotic models such as Ford Mustangs and Aston Martins.

“I got a Rolls pretty early on,” he said. “It was almost obligatory in showbusiness to show you were doing well. It was 1971 I think and it was a Silver Shadow. It even had a personalised number, TON10.

“It was lovely to have a Rolls but I really had an affection for Aston Martins.

“I was driving over from Sheffield to Manchester and I saw one. It was beautiful so I decided I had to have one.”

He enjoyed an Audi A8, which he says was one of the best cars he ever had. Now he has a Mercedes-Benz, which he enjoys but he says parking is difficult with bigger cars.

Tony, who is 80 and best known for his hit (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, still drives despite a dementia diagnosis just over a year ago.

His home is in Staffordshire which because it is in the centre of the country he can usually get home from a concert.

“They say I’m safe to drive so I still enjoy motoring,” he said.

He is still performing concerts. He has 31 dates in his diary this year already. He played at Scunthorpe (Plowright Theatre) recently and in September and October he has dates in Wakefield and Leeds.

“I enjoy driving and I will drive myself to the shows,” he said. “And I always like to get home at night if I possibly can.”