SOME car fanatics hate taking their pride and joy out in wet weather but David McBean happily drove 300 miles in Sunday's downpours in his stunning 53-year-old Bentley - and didn't clean it off until next day.

He was happy because he had just qualified for the final of a major classic car competition for the third time with his £300,000 Bentley.

David, a 47-year-old property investor from Winchester, won the concours d'elegance award with his 1954 R-Type Continental at the northern round of the 2007 Autoglym Classic Concours Championship on Sunday, and so qualified for the final in London in October.

Talking of his passion for the two-door fastback coupe which he has owned for five years, David said: "I love the shape of it. In its day it was the most expensive four-seater on the market, costing £7,500 - which was about the same as 25 terraced houses. It was also the fastest four-seater, and was capable of 120mph."

David said the car he chose was one of only 208 built.

He said: "I have done the maintenance and cleaned the engine, with some re-enamelling, and had the spare wheel shotblasted and repainted and the result is that it won best in show at Alexandra Palace last year and was runner-up in the class for cars manufactured up to 1955 in last year's Autoglym final. Powered by a 4.5 litre straight six engine, which averages about 12mpg, the car has manual gearchanging with the gearlever on the floor to the right of the steering wheel.

"It's a throwback to the days when the gearlever was outside the car, they just brought it inside," laughs David. "So sometimes it's easier for me to get out of the passenger door!"