AN ACTOR has sold his dream car - an Italian sports coupe - and replaced it with a Smart car.

Geoff Holman said his Alfa Brera, with its 3.2-litre engine and top speed of 149mph, was the best and most beautiful car he had ever driven.

But he decided to swap it for the two-seater city car when filling up the fuel tank began to cost £75, he was only managing 19 miles to the gallon and road tax renewal cost £400.

“We’re in the fortunate position of being able to afford that but I’d actually been feeling a bit uncomfortable about owning it for some time,” said Mr Holman.

“There was I fulminating about people using huge 4x4s to take their kids to school or do the shopping.

“I slowly realised there was an element of, how shall I put it, ambivalence about my position. Okay, I was a hypocrite.”

Mr Holman, who lives in Leycester Road, said he was now much more concerned about the environment than he had been a few years ago.

But he was also peeved by the sums of money going to rich Middle Eastern princes, oil companies and the Government.

“At the time a lot of people were struggling with petrol prices and oil companies were making massive profits,” he said.

“I’ve never resented paying taxes before, but I realised that I did somewhat now.” Mr Holman said he had always been a petrol-head and had owned a series of sporty, desirable cars.

“My mother once told me that even as a three-year-old child I would only play with toys with wheels on,” he said.

“I’ve had a fascination for cars, and particularly beautifully designed cars, ever since.”

The Brera was his second - he traded in the first after a year because he wanted a Formula One-style paddleshift gearbox. It has now gone, and Mr Holman’s Smart car, which turns its own engine off at traffic lights and delivers 70mpg, was delivered last week.

He said it was ideal for tootling around Knutsford, while he and wife Jennie still have a Mini Cooper S for longer journeys.

Mr Holman, who is 6ft 1, said the diminutive size of the car was no problem whatsoever.

“There’s more room in the Smart than there is in the Mini or the Alfa,” he said.

“I would say somebody 6ft 6 would be comfortable in it. And you can get an astounding amount in the back.”

In fact, according to the Smart website, the car can fit a tumble drier in the boot.

But Mr Holman said the change had not been totally without upset.

“What I try not to do is look at photos of the Brera,” he said.

“As the song has it, breaking up is hard to do.”

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