ONE man's labour of love to create his own car has finally come to fruition - and is gaining plenty of attention from York passers-by with its resemblance to a "giant fish's head".

Chris Sneesby, who lives in the Clifton area of the city, used bits of cars and motorcycles to create the three-wheel machine, loosely termed a car, but which defies classification.

Said 34-year-old Chris: "It's similar in layout to a Morgan three-wheeler. But the bodywork makes it look like a giant fish's head. That's the best way I can describe it." The fish head design was deliberately based on a structure Chris saw about ten years ago when he was visiting Australia.

Then four-and-a-half years ago, when Chris wanted to "learn a bit more about cars", he decided the best way to go about it was to build his own version.

Chris taught himself welding, and an old air raid shelter had to be taken out from his yard to accommodate the machine as it gradually took shape.

The finished article has a motorcycle engine at the front, the front suspension is from a Ford Escort and a Ford Cortina, the back suspension is also from a motorcycle, and it has two wheels at the front and one at the back. He built all the bodywork himself out of laminated ash frame, and the car is now officially road legal, having passed an MOT test.

Said Chris: "I've driven it a couple of times and it certainly turns a few heads."

Updated: 10:47 Saturday, June 23, 2001