A BRADFORD on Avon designer joined members of a classic car club to mark 40 years of Austin, Morris and Wolesley 1800-type cars on Sunday.

A group of 16 cars converged on the station car park to mark the 40th birthday of the Landcrab Owners Club.

The club was set up in honour of the new design of front-wheel drive, transverse-engine layout cars which were first produced in 1964.

The Austin 1800 gave the cars their nickname after a journalist, who took rally pictures from a helicopter, said the cars looked like crabs as they cornered sideways.

Bradford designer Dr Alex Moulton de-veloped the car's hy-drolastic suspension system in the 1960s.

Now better known for his bicycle designs, Dr Moulton joined Sunday's celebrations at the train station.

Wessex area secretary for the club Trevor Hope said: "He took a great interest in all of the cars at the meet and went out for a ride in two of them.

"It felt like quite an historic moment for us to have such an acc-laimed designer there."

Heavy rain during the day did not put club members off and some travelled from as far afield as Suffolk.

An event at South Cerney, Gloucester, will be held on July 31.