The final journey back through time on the famous Jorvik Viking Centre cars has taken place before their "retirement" for a £4.6 million redevelopment.

The last visitors to climb aboard a time car and travel down a Viking street from 948 AD were Roger and Julia Pattison, and their children Lara, 18, and Matthew, 15, from Main Street, Barmby Moor.

This was Mr Pattison's first visit to Jorvik, but his wife had been five or six times, taking Matthew on two occasions, while Lara had visited once before.

Many of the displays from the old display will be temporarily relocated in the neighbouring St Mary's building for an exhibition called The Jorvik Story, which will sit alongside the popular Skullsplitter exhibition and an Anglo-Saxon helmet uncovered in the 1982 Coppergate dig.

Plans are also being considered to find new homes for other exhibits, including some of the original statues and models, which may involve holding an Internet auction for some of them.

A Jorvik spokesman explained that this would probably take place later this year.

It was day of mixed emotions for staff at the centre, who were excited at the redevelopment work that is about to begin, yet sad to see the end of the time cars.

But Mrs Pattison, who described herself as a "big fan of Jorvik" won the chance for the final ride for her family by correctly naming Magnus Magnusson as the commentator whose voice has been heard by time car passengers since the centre opened in 1984.

Dr Peter Addyman, director of the York Archaeological Trust, added that the old time cars had done over 70,000 miles now, and they would have new cars for the new Millennium, as well as a new exhibition based on updated research.