A TEACHER who has spent hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds on transforming a classic car hopes his handy work will inspire pupils in their studies.

Douglas Hague created a stir when he took his 1972 Ford Capri 1600 XL (MK1), which appears on the cover of a national prestige car magazine, into the car park of Barlby High School.

Mr Hague, who is a design and technology teacher, bought the car as a day-to-day runaround 20 years ago and has spent hundreds of hours and up to £20,000 transforming the vehicle into a replica of the South African Gunston racing team’s Perana livery with modified bodywork.

Mr Hague said: “I have always had an interest in engineering and cars, mainly from my family influences. My father is an engineer and owned his own garage 40 years ago.

“I soon became interested in drag racing and became a regular at York raceway. This led to the evolution of the car, which has always been built, modified and maintained by myself. It now features a high-power V8 engine, and a plethora of hand-engineered parts.”

As well as appearing on the cover of Practical Performance Car magazine, Mr Hague’s Capri is featured in a four-page article inside the publication. He said he hoped his enthusiasm for the subject would inspire pupils at the school to take their engineering studies further.

Mr Hague said: “The car has given me some very common ground for the majority of the students on the engineering course and many are keen to follow my racing and progress with the car.

“It also helps to let the students see how parts can be manufactured, modified or repaired by applying the skills they are being taught on a daily basis.”