DAVE Troth is Mini mad and pride will mix with sadness when the Bromsgrove car enthusiast takes his place in the centenary cavalcade to celebrate 100 years of car making at Longbridge this Saturday.

His 1960 Mini van has been selected as one of 100 cars - one for each year - to drive in the procession from the centre of Birmingham to Cofton Park - opposite the works.

"My father worked at Longbridge and I had my first Mini when I was just 14-years-old," said the car buff.

"They are very special cars and the vehicle everyone will associate with Longbridge," added the 45-year-old businessman, who lives in Woodrow Lane, Catshill.

"I have owned in the order of thirty Minis in my time and now my son has started collecting them. This was a remarkable and revolutionary car which is proven by the fact that it stayed in production for more than 40 years."

Dave's 1960 Mini van is in mint condition and completely original. It has covered just 16,000 miles in 45 years. Dave bought it from the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire.

"What has happened with the end of car production at MG Rover is tragic and especially sad happening in the centenary year," added Dave, who is chairman of the Longbridge Classic Mini Club.

Keith Woodfield, from Droitwich, who worked at Longbridge for more than 30 years, is another proud owner of a vintage Mini.

"I cannot express how I feel about the demise of car making at the factory and the fact that there are no more Minis being made," said the 71-year-old.

"As far as traditionalists are concerned the car BMW make by that name is not a real Mini," added Keith, who lives in Drovers Way, Westlands.

His car is a 1959 Morris Mini made in the year that the car first came off the production line. Original and unrestored, the years have taken its toll, but Keith is busy getting it back into shape.