Row upon magnificent row of classic American cars vied for attention at the sixth North-East American Car Club show at the weekend.

Among them were Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Dodges, Chevrolets, Stingrays and Corvettes - each oozing character, machismo and status.

About 500 of the petrol guzzlers, all in showroom condition, converged on Preston Park, near Stockton.

"You should see the sun shining off them," said club chairman Bill Horn, bemoaning the sullen, overcast sky.

Vehicles were brought from as far apart as Tayside and Sheffield, and can next be seen at Seaburn, near Sunderland, on June 8.

Also at the weekend, fans of Porsches converged on one of the region's stately homes and had the chance to pick up a Porsche Boxster for a measly £100.

With a usual price tag exceeding £30,000, the sporty vehicle was eyed up by many visitors at Castle Howard, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, at this year's Porsche in the Park weekend.

But in place of a powerful engine, the only power this Porsche will be propelled by is pedal power, as it was a miniature version of the real thing.

This year's Porsche in the Park - one of the largest gathering of Porsche cars in the country - raised money for Scarborough's St Catherine's Hospice Building Appeal