Persistent Car Fanatic Finally Wins Top Prize In Competition {{favouriteCount}}

A PENZANCE car fanatic, who has been entering the same car competition for the past decade, has finally scooped a top prize for his efforts.

Alec Gwynn, 65, had been planning to give up playing the competition due to his upcoming retirement – his wife was also "nagging" him to stop. He has been taking part in a 'spot the ball' competition run by Best of the Best (BOTB), a dream car giveaway business, for more than 10 years to no avail but his patience was rewarded when he was presented with a Caterham 420 on Tuesday morning.

"This is incredible," said Mr Gwynn, who got into competitions just before he moved back to west Cornwall from Dubai after working in the oil and gas industry.

 

"I really didn't expect anything like this, I still can't believe it, it's all making sense now – yesterday my wife asked me about cars, which she never does normally.

"The car is just brilliant, I was parked next to one a year ago and asked the driver if he wanted to swap, which he obviously didn't."

Mr Gwynn, who became the 323rd person to win the competition, was surprised by the BOTB team with the help of his children, neighbour and wife – he had no idea what was going on.

The business distributes a new car to a lucky winner each week, ranging from Ferraris to smaller cars, and travels all over Britain to do so.

He was presented with a replica of the car, worth £29,995, and will be designing his own, which will have zero miles on the clock, in the style and colour he wants.

Christian Williams presented the car on behalf the company with champagne and confetti spraying across Penzance harbour.

 

"It feels very good to give people the cars," he said.

"Of course I would rather win one but seeing the joy it brings to people like Alec, it is very rewarding."

Mr Gwynn's wife, Serena Gwynn, a local ceramics artist, was very proud to see her husband win.

"I'm so chuffed for him," she said."It also now means I can stop nagging him about entering all of his competitions."

Mr Gwynn is soon to retire and said he was considering giving up on the competitions as a result but now he has won his dream car he will sign off his competition career as a winner.

"I can't wait to get this out on the Cornish roads," he added.

"The stretch from St Ives to Lands End will be my first outing, it's up there with the top ten roads in the country."

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