Why this Golf GTI beat Britain’s finest cars to win NEC’s top prize

1983 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI SIMON MCNAMARA

With the most votes over the course of the weekend, Simon McNamara and his 1983 Lhasa Green Volkswagen Golf GTI MkI claimed victory over Craig Marsden’s 1970 Dodge Charger and Gerald McWhinnie’s 1998 BMW E36 M3, which took second and third places respectively.

‘I know everybody will say they didn’t expect to win but I really didn’t, I mean look at the cars I was up against!’ said a surprised Simon.

‘It took me five years to restore it. My partner, Jess, and I drive it everywhere, it’s not trailered. I only use it in nice weather, but it’s a GTI – it’s supposed to be driven!

‘I’ve had it nearly 18 years; I was 21, always wanted a GTI having been brought up with VWs, and used to use it daily. I took it off the road one weekend just to do a few little repairs but, as tends to happen, it’d be years before it was back on the road again.

‘It’s nicknamed “The Old Rust Bucket” – that’s what my grandad called it and it’s a name that’s stuck.’