First registered in 1955, the car covered 71,000 miles before being taken to a garage for some minor repairs, but it was never collected.

"The owner of the garage kept it for 40 years waiting for the owners to reclaim it, but they never did," said the Magnette's current owner, Paul Mead. "The garage owner then retired and eventually sold it on to my father."

Sadly, says Paul, his father never got round to restoring it and admits that with too many projects of his own on the go that he'd be "over 100" by the time he got round to finally working on the Magnette.

Paul, who is based in Swindon, would prefer to see it sold to a willing enthusiast who will have to time to restore it to its former glory. "I want it to go to a good home, someone who will put the work in and get it back on the road," added Paul.

The MG Magnette is believed to be completely original and ready for restoration, although it hasn't been used since 1972.

The car's body has never had any previous restoration work, but does contain some rust which has built up during storage.