Wildcat won for £20

Photo: David Butterworth

Al Melling's 'Wildcat'.

A retired painter and decorator has won one of Rochdale sports car manufacturer Al Melling's Wildcats for just £20.

70-year old Jim Eden, from Lancaster, paid £20 to enter a raffle draw to win one of the Rochdale-born Wildcats and it was his ticket, out of the 2000 sold, that won the prize.

It was hoped that the raffle would boost sales of the sports car and following the competition eight new jobs have been created at the Rochdale factory to meet demand.

The first Wildcat was built last year and is on display at Melling Consultancy Design on Mellor Street.

The £45,000 Wildcat features a 5.7 litre V8 engine, producing around 460bhp.

“It’s a car that we think the real sports car enthusiast would want. It’s a real down to earth sports car, and I say it’s the true blooded sports car,” said Mr Melling.

The company is planning further raffles in the coming months; look out for further details on Rochdale Online.