A CAR fanatic who has spent around £30,000 on his pride and joy is hoping it will win him the top prize in a compe-tition.

Paul Stott, 28, has entered his Subaru Impreza in a competition with Total Car magazine.

Mr Stott said he was not interested in the prize of £1,500 worth of parts but instead wanted the honour of his car being voted one of the finest Imprezas on the road.

He said: “It is all about the honour for me.

“The prize is OK but I just want people to see my car and enjoy it.

“I have spent between £20,000 and £30,000 on it so it has been a big commitment.

“I could never sell it now, it is my pride and joy and I couldn't possibly part with it.”

Mr Stott, a water company project manager who lives in Burnley with his girlfriend Kristen and two-year-old daughter Emma, said he had dreamed of owning a Subaru after being taken for a drive in one as a teenager.

He said: “As soon as I went out in one as a passenger for the first time, I knew I had to have one.

But insurance companies would not insure me until I was 21, because it is such a big car.

“So I decided to use that time to save up for the car and insurance.”

Mr Stott bought hjis car secondhand for £10,000 and said he spends up to two hours a night working on his car.

He said: “I have an incre-dibly understanding girl-friend.

“And I always wait tuntil our daughter has gone to bed before doing any work, and sneaking off to the garage.”

“Kristen realises this is my passion.

I make time for her and she is happy with that.” Mr Stott, a member of the Lancashire Subaru Driving Club, said the competition was the last he planned to enter before turning his attention to racing.

He said: “I have decided to try and start making some money back on the car.

“I raced it for the first time the other day in York and it went fantastically well so I am definitely going to try it again.”