A driver has finally decided to trade in his trusty Volvo which has driven more than 250,000 miles in its 22-year life.

However, he won't be without a Volvo for long, having bought a nearly new V70 with a just a few thousand miles on the clock.

Wendell Jones, who lives in Fulbrook, near Burford, has taken the old Volvo as far as Spain and the south of France. He has no concerns about its reliability and, as recently as last year, travelled to Switzerland in the Volvo 245 DL model -- adding nearly 900 miles on the round trip.

The T-registered car was bought new in 1979 from the Volvo dealership at Cumnor Hill. Since then it has a full service history with Motorworld Volvo and every inch of the service booklet is covered with Motorworld stamps! The engine and gearbox are original.

"Our three children have grown up with the Volvo and we're all really attached to it," said Mr Jones. "It's part of the family and I shall be sad to part with it."

Mr Jones only had one serious problem when he was descending an 8,000 ft pass in Austria. In summer temperatures and heavy traffic the brake fluid evaporated. He was not worried by the failure, but waited for everything to cool down, topped up the fluid and continued as normal the following day! Reassuringly tolerances are higher these days so such a problem would not occur with a modern vehicle.

Bill Kinchella, of Motorworld Volvo, dealt with Mr Jones' trade-in. He said: "I certainly didn't have to persuade Mr Jones about Volvo's durability. I believe his wife also has a ten-year old Volvo 340. Although it'll be sad to see the car go, Mr Jones should find his new car offers all the benefits of today's technology together with Volvo's famed longevity!"