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The Sun Newspaper. Wednesday February 15th 2001 (Pg 14/15).
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Article reproduced with permission from The Sun Newspaper. Photos: Steve Copley.
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I've got last Del-Boy car.
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Sun winner John drives off in final Reliant Robin.
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SUN reader John Leigh has had a luvvly jubbly bit of luck - winning the last-ever Reliant Robin.
The ex-builder scooped the motor - made famous by Del-Boy in Only Fools and Horses - thanks to a bit of cushty wheeler-dealing by The Sun.
We offered the £10,000 limited edition Robin in a fun contest in September after makers Reliant announced the end of the model's amazing
65-year production run. John's name came up trumps after he gave the right answer - yellow - to our quiz question, what colour was Del-Boys motor? Yesterday John of Weaverham, Cheshire, said:
"Its luvvly jubbly.
Im over the moon. Im a big fan of Only Fools and Horses and about 25 years ago I had a second-hand Reliant Robin just like the one used on the programme. When I was a builder I had my name on the side of the white van just like Del Boy and Rodders - but mine just said Weaverham not Peckham and Paris". John, 53, added, "I know this Robin is a collectors item but I'm going to keep it and drive it around. "I read about Manchester United's Dwight Yorke wanting one, so I might swop mine for his Ferrari one day."
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John who also owns an E-reg Ford Escort, added: "Until this, the most I'd ever won was a tenner on the Lottery.
I always buy The Sun and save the Books for Schools tokens for the grandkids. Both my daughters have been on the 39.50 Sun holidays but I never imagined I'd win a prize this big from the paper. "Its fantastic. I've only ever had one other brand new car and that was a Hillman Avenger in 1970 but it was a boneshaker compared to this. I really can't believe I've got it -thank you, my Sun". John and his wife Ivy visited the Reliant factory in Burntwood, Staffs, to collect the prize. They took it for a spin after swopping the showroom licence plates for the street legal variety which Del Boy would have loved - X241 UOK.
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Ivy, 50, said: "He never got me a Valentine's Day card - but he is forgiven.
How many women can say their husband got them the last Reliant Robin for Valentine's Day. Its romantic - last time we had one we were struggling to raise our daughters and it was the only car we could afford. This one is the top of the range - its amazing".
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The limited-edition Robin 65 - named after the number of years the car was in production - has been luxuriously fitted out with read and grey
leather upholstery, wood trim and a high specification sound system. It has alloy wheels and distinctive gold paintwork and the dashboard bears a plaque with John's name on. The car's 850cc engine may
sound small but it has a top speed of 80mph and does up to 90 miles per gallon. And as a three-wheeler it is classified as a motorbike - so you pay only half the normal rate of car tax.
Stars of Only Fools and Horses added their own congratulations to John
yesterday. David Jason who played Del-Boy, said: "There goes a piece of British comic history." And Roger Lloyd Pack, alias Trigger said: "No income tax, no VAT - John's got a right bargain here. Its a sad day for Reliant Robin lovers, knowing the last one has rolled off the production line, but I hope John has many happy years driving it.! And he joked about the car's fibreglass body: "One things for sure - it wont rust".
A Reliant spokesman said: "Its a sad day for the nations comedians but a great day for John - he has just driven into the history books."
Comedian Bernard Manning said: "Its a great day for road safety in Britain. Lets hope the wind's not to strong on John's drive home."
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