A 25-YEAR-OLD Mini Clubman Estate, once destined for scrap, is stealing the show at some of the country's most prestigious events.

The car, owned by Bewdley father and son Alan and Mike Winspur, has now notched up six first prizes and a best engine award at car shows after being lovingly restored.

The car, nicknamed Mabel after the car's MAB registration, took the best in show award at the Mini in the Park Festival in Oxfordshire last year, beating competitors from all over the world, and has already taken the honours at a show at Himley Hall.

Not bad for a vehicle that was languishing in their garage in Cleobury Road.

Mike, a trained mechanic, who also races a Mini Cooper at Shelsley Walsh, said: " Mabel was my father's car. Then my sister and I both learnt to drive in it.

"It really had outlived its usefulness and had gone to rack and ruin but dad and I spent hours and hours restoring it over a three-year period.

"Any parts we couldn't get we made. We decided to enter it in a show a couple of years ago and we promptly won so we've had the bug ever since.

"The car's done 74,000 miles now and is a great runner. Unlike some of our competitors we drive it to all the shows, too."