A Wombwell man who restored a classic Mark 1 Volkswagen GTI has had a model of his car made by renowned manufacturer Corgi Cars.
Simon McNamara, who is 33 today, spent five years and an "unmentionable" amount of money restoring the car. He has had it for about 12 years.
He said: "It's what is called a 'hot hatch' car and spawned a lot of boy racers back in the 1980s. The 80s is quite popular at the moment so we have been in demand."
Simon's car was spotted by Corgi when he was at Birmingham Classic Car Show. He said: "I had a phone call asking if I'd mind them doing a model of my car.
"It was the ultimate compliment. But I never expected that they would actually put my registration on it - It's exactly the same colour too."
Simon, a plumber who lives on Wood Walk, picked up his passion for VWs from his uncle who ran a VW club in Sheffield. He said his 'hobby' was actually more of a lifestyle.
He said: "I wouldn't want to add up how much I've spent on my car - I've got a box with all the receipts in, but it's not about money. It's about the friends I've made. In the summer I'm at a show every weekend and I've even made a couple of friends in Holland."
Simon runs the Elsecar Mega Meet VW event and is next attending the Manchester Classic Car Show on September 21 and 22 where his car is set to be a major attraction.
