NIK Kershaw is the 80s pop star who stormed the charts with the likes of Wouldn’t It Be Good, The Riddle and I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of his first chart success, Nik is performing songs and telling tales from his career at the Arc in Stockton on September 27. For details visit arconline.co.uk/whats-on/music/nik-kershaw. To read more about Nik go to www.nikkershaw.net or follow him on Twitter @NikKershaw
What was your first car?
Austin 1100. It cost £150. Drove it away to discover the head gasket had blown. Replacing it was my first ever attempt at car mechanics. Then I replaced the gearbox and had it nicked about two weeks later.
How many times did it take to pass your test?
Passed first time in a Fiat 128. My instructor's name was Elvis (I kid you not).
Who would be your ideal fantasy passenger and where would you go?
Gene Pitney. We'd go to Tulsa. It would take approximately 24 hrs.
What is your dream car?
1958 Porsche Speedster. I just love the look. In fact, not even too fussed about the real thing. Would happily go for a Chesil Motor Company replica.
How would you describe your driving style?
Confident without being aggressive, yet pretty careful and safe. I only hit stationary objects. Am particularly adept at reversing into skips. Crap at parking.
Tell me one driving anecdote from your past?
Back in the 70s when I was a starving musician, I had to do all my own work on my cars. One particular car (Cortina MKII) developed a rattle that sounded like it was the back axle. So I changed one of the half shafts (not a small job). Still rattled. I changed the other. Still rattled. I changed the differential. Still rattled. In despair I took it to the local mechanic who drove it round the block and came back with a big smile on his face.
"Fixed it," he said.
"What was it?" I said.
"The roof rack was loose," he said.
What are you listening to?
"Sparks" by Imogen Heap. I worked with her when she first came out of the Brits school back in the 90s and have followed her career with awe ever since. She has many imitators, but still manages to remain totally unique.
What do you drive now?
Volvo XC90 2.5 Diesel and a BMW 118i Diesel. We've been known to go camping and my wife likes to bring most of the contents of our house with us. That's where the Volvo comes in. The BMW is 35 quid a year road tax. Nuff said.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here