The purring of finely tuned engines could be heard on North-East roads at the weekend as old vehicles from across the country travelled to a huge vintage transport rally.

More than 500 motorcycles, cars, caravans and tractors rolled into Witton Castle, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, for The Northern Vintage Transport Association's fifth annual rally.

Exhibits ranged from mammoth traction engines and military tankers to 1920s Morris and Austin saloons and push bikes.

Club members, of all ages and backgrounds, swapped restoration tips and showed their beloved vehicles to visitors in a grand parade last night.

For details of NVTA membership, write to Ann Lidster, 6 Bransdale Grove, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, TS25 4EG with a stamped addressed envelope.

A sports car designed and built for a Swiss banker proved a big attraction at another rally that took place elsewhere in the region at the weekend.

Prince Eric Sturdza is the owner of the world's only Morgan Aeromax and visitors to Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, had the chance to view the £100,000 vehicle.

The car took pride of place at the Morgan Car Meet, one of the museum's popular annual events, at which the owners of 150 Morgan cars displayed their treasured motors.

The car was completed at the end of last year and was unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

It was shipped to the North-East specially for its one-day appearance at the rally yesterday.

The car's body was designed by Coventry University student Matthew Humphries, 21, and hand-built from aluminium at the Morgan factory.

The vehicle drew admiring glances from visitors who saw various Morgan models on display or being put through their paces on an autotest.