HUNDREDS of vintage vehicles, each with its own story to tell, crammed into Huddersfield's Greenhead Park.

The ever-popular rally takes place every August and showcases beautiful models from yesteryear.

Transport groups from Kirklees and the Aire Valley ran yesterday's event together. It was sponsored by Red Arrow coaches.

The record entry of 164 vehicles included buses, kit cars, pre-Second World War cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and military and emergency vehicles.

Organiser Gordon Morson said he was delighted by the number of unfamiliar faces, saying: "There are a lot of new owners who have come this year."

Brian Bush, a member of the Kirklees Transport Group, revealed why he thought so many people loved restoring and driving vintage vehicles.

"It's about trying to keep part of history going." he said.

A vintage vehicle rally has been held in Greenhead Park for the past 34 years.

The day began with a convoy heading up to the park from the Galpharm Stadium.

Among the owners was Simon Edwards, 40, of Skelmanthorpe, who picked up his yellow New York taxi from Liverpool docks last Thursday, after buying it over the internet.

The 2000 model, with a staggering 335,000 miles on the clock, comes complete with a special hostage alarm at the back, to warn other drivers and police there is a violent passenger on board.

In addition, the front bumper has what looks like mini cattle-bars.

"It's quite rough in New York, so it has been bumped and bounced a bit!" said Simon.

Seventy-six-year-old Geoffrey Senior, from Sheffield, was showing off his gleaming, 25-year-old Ferrari 512.

The retired art teacher, chatting by the scarlet machine, said Ferrari designers offered the complete package and the marque had mythical status.

"They take part in Formula 1 and make everything themselves, the engines, the bodies."

He said he had no boyhood ambitions to own a supercar. "I never really lusted after Ferraris!"

But he decided to treat himself when he had a bit of spare money.

Peter Hood, 54, of Edgerton, was showing visitors a pristine 1927 three-litre Bentley.

The sports tourer would have been bought by a young playboy with plenty of money and a love of speed.

Mr Hood's father bought the rusting car in 1957 and took it to bits in 1959 - leaving his son the job of putting it back together!

The car would have cost £1,025 new. A semi-detached house in London at the time was £300.

"A mechanic who was going to MOT it said to me `We'd better check it for woodworm first'!" joked Mr Hood.

The car can cruise at 70mph.

Mr Hood, a lecturer at Huddersfield University, said technology had not come such a long way over the past 80 years.

"This is a 1920s car and it has a twin spark engine, 16 valves and overhead cam," he said.