One of Britain's first drag racers attended the opening of an exhibition marking a major milestone in the history of UK motor sport.
Derek Metcalf, 91, was among the guests at the launch of Burnout!, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first British International Drag Racing Festival.
The mixed-media exhibition is being staged at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu until February next year.
Derek, one of the first people to build and drive drag racing cars in the UK, was treated to a surprise "start-up" of a 1961 Allard Chrysler.
The vehicle is on permanent display at the award-winning museum.
Ten years ago it was restored to full running order by the Allard Chrysler Action Group in a a project sponsored by Lucas Oils.
READ MORE: Donald Campbell's record-breaking Bluebird K7 visits National Motor Museum
A museum spokesperson said: "Derek and his wife Pam were part of the drag racing community in the 1960s.
"They discovered drag racing at a visit to the Brighton Speed Trials in 1963. Derek built a car based on his own chassis design and worked out all the engineering, assisted closely by Pam."
The car was ready in time for the 1964 drag racing festival at Blackbushe Airport, near Camberley in Surrey.
Derek continued to race the vehicle in 1965, 1966, and 1967 before building a new dragster for the 1968 season. He and his wife helped promote the sport until their retirement.
Drag racing involves two specially adapted vehicles racing side by side at extreme speeds, fuelled by petrol or nitromethane.
The 1964 festival was the first large-scale event to bring the sport - hugely popular in America at the time - to the UK.
Sydney Allard, a UK car designer, and rally driver, built the first British dragster in 1961 and later sold a smaller version in kit form.
The sport gained momentum in 1963 when US drag star Dante Duce challenged Allard to a series of races in the UK.
Backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the new exhibition is the result of the museum joining forces with British Drag Racing Historians (BDRH), who sourced items for the display.
READ MORE: Wombles visit the National Motor Museum to celebrate 50th anniversary of the attraction's monorail
Derek, who lives in Surrey, was welcomed by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and the museum's chief executive, Jon Murden.
The attraction owes its origins to Lord Montagu's late father, Edward, Lord Montagu, who became one of the first peers in the country to open his home to the paying public.
He decided that Palace House needed an added attraction and displayed a small group of classic cars in the entrance hall.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here