A TAVISTOCK car enthusiast will be taking his former racing car to London to join a parade for the Queen’s 90th birthday this weekend.

Jonathan Adams was asked to take part in a parade of vehicles from each year of her Majesty’s life with his 1956 Lotus Eleven, as part of ongoing birthday celebrations.

Having been contacted through his local car club, The Historic Lotus Register, to take part, Jonathan and his wife will drive his classic vehicle up to London tomorrow (Friday) and join the parade on Saturday from the Houses of Parliament through London to Buckingham Palace.

Organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Motor Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, 90 British vehicles, representing the cream of the British motor industry, will line up in front of Buckingham Palace and be inspected on behalf of the Queen by HRH Prince Michael of Kent. The first vehicle will be a Bullnose Morris Oxford Tourer which was manufactured in 1926 and the last will be a 2016 Jaguar F-Pace with Jonathan’s Lotus Eleven fourth in line.

Jonathan has owned his Lotus Eleven for six-years after buying it unseen on eBay from America. Only 150 of these cars were ever made.

After three years of research, Jonathan found out that his purchase happened to be a famous racing car, having been raced by Mike Hawthorn — the first British Formula 1 champion.

Jonathan said: ‘It is quite a famous racing car, they thought it had been lost. It’s a hobby that keeps me poor. They are high maintenance cars but good fun to drive. I like driving it because not many people get to see these cars so I get a lot of looks.

‘We’re driving up to London on Friday then on Saturday driving to the Houses of Parliament then following a route through London and ending at Buckingham Palace where we will shake hands with Prince Michael of Kent. We’ve got to wear clothes of the period, so my wife has got an outfit picked out.

‘It will be a bit of a laugh really.’