Gary Cooper, 57, appeared before the district judge at York Magistrates Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to the offence while he was behind the wheel of a Reliant Scimitar last April.

The Scimitar was a sports car produced by the British manufacturer – which is more famous for its three-wheeled Robin model – between the 1960s and the 1980s.

Mr Cooper admitted that he drove the car without due consideration for other road users at Sheriff Hutton Road in Strensall, causing serious injury to victim Steve Smith, who was cycling along the same road.

Gary Cooper was driving a classic Reliant Scimitar like the one pictured above when he collided with cyclist Steve Smith

Mr Cooper, a former director of York Auto Club who has competed in forest rallies, was taking part in a ‘treasure hunt’ called the North Yorkshire Classic Rally with his wife Gina on the morning of Sunday, April 2. The event was described as a ‘navigational exercise’ rather than a timed race.

Mr Smith approached the junction of Sheriff Hutton Road and Pottery Lane on his bike, but could remember nothing of the collision or impact until he woke up injured on the verge.

He suffered a broken collarbone, broken wrist and laceration to the head, and was taken to York Hospital for treatment, with the Coopers remaining at the scene to assist him.

The Crown prosecutor said it was accepted that Mr Cooper was turning left onto Sheriff Hutton Road from the junction, and was travelling at only 1mph from a complete stop when the collision occurred. He said he did not often use the road, and had checked but did not see the cyclist due to ‘low sun’.

The incident was described as a ‘momentary lapse’ of concentration and motor engineer Mr Cooper was a man of previous good character with no endorsements on his licence.

Mr Cooper said he was not in a rush but admitted that his vision had been impaired. His defence solicitor said he was ‘remorseful’ and offered full apologies to Mr Smith. She added: “His working and personal life have been hugely affected. He is a self-employed mechanic with his own workshop. He has been unable to continue with his work to the same extent due to the interim driving disqualification. It has had a negative impact on his reputation and income.”

She confirmed that Mr Cooper, of Crockey Hill near York, lives in a rural area and has elderly parents who rely on him for transport.

Sentencing him to 60 hours of unpaid work and banning him from driving for a year, District Judge Adrian Lower said: “You didn’t go out for a drive intending that anything like this was going to happen. You were normally a careful driver. The standard of driving did fall below that of competence. You should have made absolutely sure there was nobody approaching.

"You have a good driving record and have shown genuine remorse. The chances of you appearing before this court again are vanishingly small.”

Mr Cooper is now subject to a 12-month community order and most pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.

The North Yorkshire Classic Rally results page for the 2023 event records that the Coopers retired from the race.

Yorkshire rally driver hit and seriously injured cyclist due to 'low sun' during 'treasure hunt' in a classic Reliant Scimitar