Rusty 1956 Rover car parked in same spot on street for so long it has become a local landmark

A rusty car has been parked in the same parking spot for at least a decade.
The Rover 90 dating back to 1956 has become something of a local landmark in the Cardiff street.



The car once belonged to Dennis Desmond, a gold miner who lived in Wales but who travelled to South Africa regularly for work.
He would leave the prized possession behind for years at a time.

Andrew Barnes, 51, who now owns the car, said the car was now parked across the road from where he lives on Cornwall Street in Grangetown.
He said it had been there for at least a decade.
“My uncle bought it in the 1970s and he used it on and off. He worked in South Africa and he'd go for two or three years at a time," he told Wales Online .



“He’d then come home for six weeks and build it back up and then unbuild it and put it on blocks and so on.

“When he got fed up he left it to my mum who gave it to me. I’ve now owned the car for donkey’s years.”
The car, which is taxed and insured, has been gathering rust for a long time – but is still in working condition.
Andrew says he wants to restore the car to its former glory, but hasn't got anywhere to work on it.

He said: “For a long time I was going to get rid of it but it would be a shame.
“I want to do a complete restoration job. I’m still thinking about it. If I can find a place to do it, I will.”



The car has become a local icon for the area because of the amount of time it’s been there. That doesn't faze Andrew.
He said: “I think everyone in Cardiff knows about it.
“My daughter says she sees it on Facebook a lot, but I don’t use Facebook.”

He said: “For a long time I was going to get rid of it but it would be a shame.
“I want to do a complete restoration job. I’m still thinking about it. If I can find a place to do it, I will.”
The car has become a local icon for the area because of the amount of time it’s been there. That doesn't faze Andrew.
He said: “I think everyone in Cardiff knows about it.
“My daughter says she sees it on Facebook a lot, but I don’t use Facebook.”