Louth collector's hoard of classic vehicles auctioned

A Ford Prefect car was among the stars of the collection, auctioneers said

The contents of a classic car restoration yard, amassed by a mechanic who "wouldn't scrap anything", have been sold at auction.

The collection of cars, motorbikes and vehicle parts belonged to David Cullingford, from Louth, Lincolnshire.

Mr Cullingford died in December 2015, leaving his collection, which sold for more than £5,000, to his family.

His son Nick said: "It was something he had a massive passion for - he was always in the workshop."

David Cullingford worked as a mechanic for Volkswagen in Louth before setting up his own garage

Nick and his brother Richard said some of the items had been left untouched in the workshop for years.

Nick added: "It goes all the way back to our childhood - and we can remember going and buying some of it.

"If a car was due to go to the scrap yard he would say 'no it isn't, bring it here and we'll sort it'.

"He wouldn't scrap anything."

A rare flatbed lorry, one of only a handful in the UK, failed to reach its reserve price

The brothers said one of the biggest tasks was getting the items ready for auction and working out which parts went with what vehicle.

Auctioneer Charles Moses, of Eddisons CJM, said the collection represented an important part of the UK's motoring history.

He said there were some rare finds among the collection, including a Ford Prefect car which sold for £850, and a Morris Series 3 lorry, which failed to meet its reserve.

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He said some lots had generated "significant interest" with bidders from as far afield as Romania and Greece.

"One man's junk is another man's gem - and there are a lot of gems here," he added.