Ancient jokes and sniggers on the street mean nothing to Reliant Robin fan Chris Robinson, who has stuck with the three-wheelers through thick and thin.

Chris, of Norton, has never driven anything else - and is now the proud owner of one of the last 65 Robins to roll off the production line.

Reliant decided to end production of the Robin last year, the 65th anniversary of the year it started to build cars. To mark it, Reliant put together 65 special edition Robins - which come complete with leather seats, a plaque with the owner's name, and a stylish gold finish - costing £10,700.

Dad-of-two Chris said he was always a motorbike man, until starting a family with wife Ann.

He decided to get something a bit more family-orientated, and, as you can drive a Robin on a motorbike licence, that is what he got.

"I could never drive anything else now," Chris, 56, said. "Everyone knows me for having a Robin and they are great little cars. Mind you, I suppose how long I'm driving one depends how long this car lasts.

"It should really be wrapped in cotton wool, but I can't afford to do that - and cars like this are there to be driven."

Supply teacher Chris said that at first, Ann hated the cars, and his children used to duck down as they drove along rather than be spotted by their mates.

But he added: "Ann likes them now and my children have come around to them as well. I suppose they didn't have a lot of choice, did they?"

Chris bought his Robin from Michael's in Selby, the biggest Reliant dealer in the country.

During the Seventies - the three-wheeler's heyday - they were selling more than 100 a year across the UK.

Updated: 12:01 Wednesday, April 11, 2001