Stretched to bursting point

A standard Herald was cut in half to make the stretch

Bosses behind one of the largest collections of Triumph cars in the world are facing a squeeze to fit in their latest addition.

The Warwickshire-based Canley Classics Triumph Museum boasts classics, prototypes and racing cars ranging in price from £500 to £50,000.

But now it wants to put its own creation, the Triumph Herald Stretch, on show after retiring it from enthusiast races.

David Pearson, 42, is the brains behind the 22 feet long machine which was designed on a whim after the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run in 2000.

"We had entered the run off and on for ten years and started to think we needed to do it in something different," he said.

"You can't really get anymore different than a stretched Herald."

Triumph Herald Stretch Five Herald roofs Three Herald rear tubs Length: 22 feet Width: Standard Engine: Standard 2.5 litre engine Fuel economy: 25mpg Cruising speed: 70mph

As the manager of a classics spares company he had several unwanted cars to get parts from and with a team of up to six people took just two weeks to assemble the new vehicle.

However the attempt to drive around Britain was aborted after just 300 miles when the exhaust, measuring 12 feet, began dragging along the floor.

In September last year Mr Pearson took the elongated car on the road again, this time successfully completing the 2,500 mile Ten Countries Run across Europe.

He said: "It was fine, wonderful. The problem with the car is that you get so used to it you forget how long it is, as the driver twice found out," he said.

"He collided with a petrol pump in France and fell asleep while on the auto route and we ended up in a ploughed field."

Now the unique car is set for centre stage in the museum which Mr Pearson hopes to open to the public this summer.

But he admitted his challenges with the huge car may not have ended.

"This week we are trying to squeeze the stretch in," he said. "We've got ten cars in there at the moment but there are about 30 cars in our collection so we are hoping to expand the building."

If Mr Pearson can find the space the stretch will join his other treasures including an all aluminium Triumph racing car which competed in the Macau grand prix in 1965.