'My 56-year-old Ford Capri is part of the family'

A man who has owned the same Ford Capri since 1974 says the emotional attachment he has for the vehicle makes it "part of the family".

Mr Doyle from Pyne near Exeter originally bought the 1969 Capri second-hand for £625 and has since spent more than £40,000 restoring it to "better than factory" condition.

He considered scrapping the car in 2012 due to its poor condition but credits his late wife Kath for her "amazing vision" in persuading him to keep and restore it.

Affectionately known as Bessie, he said the car evokes "quite powerful memories for people" when he takes it to classic car shows.

In 1974 Mr Doyle owned a two-seater Austin Healey Sprite but he needed "something bigger" as his wife Kath was expecting their first child.

"Of course, children, babies, two seater sports cars, they don't go well together," he said.

"I always fancied the Capri, the problem is that I've now got to fit a pram into the back of this car."

He managed to squeeze the pram in with an inch to spare thanks to taking the wheels off.

"The top of the pram went on the back seat with no seatbelt on it in those days and the baby rolls around," he said.

"It's probably why my daughter's got a bad neck."

Originally from London, he has fond memories of taking the car out for a drive around Heathrow Airport's tunnels.

"Back in 1974 I would say to my then wife, 'I'm popping out for half an hour', 'I know where you're going she would say'," said Mr Doyle.

He would drive the car through the tunnels with the windows down to listen to the engine.

"If you wanted to add a bit of throttle, you could drift the back end out, but that was back then," he said.

"I don't do it now, I treat her with the utmost respect because she's an old lady."

The car was driven daily between 1974 and 1991 until it broke down and had to be recovered.

It was off the road until 2012 when Mr Doyle considered scrapping it.

"It was my late wife Kath whose persuasion stopped me from scrapping the car," he said.

"I'm forever indebted to her amazing vision."

The car was "taken back to a shell" and fully restored over two years.

"She's probably in better condition than when she left the factory in 1969," he said.

Mr Doyle said his car helps him to connect with people.

"You go to a show and you get these retired guys come up and say 'I used to work in the factory where these parts were made'," he said.

"It's suddenly, bang, memories and they light up and tell you all these stories.

"These old cars have this connection in evoking quite powerful memories for people and I find that brilliant."

He added: "I know it's an inanimate object but it's part of the family."

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