Life has gone full circle for an Ipswich dad-of-three who is back on the road in the car he has been wishing to drive for more than 30 years.

Paul Myall's first car was a Volkswagon Fastback, which he bought 34 years ago at the age of 17.

He saw the model in a magazine and decided that would be his first car.

After a lot of restoration work, Mr Myall took to the roads in his new ride.

However after just 18 months, the car was irreversibly damaged.

Paul's new Volkswagon FastbackPaul's new Volkswagon Fastback (Image: Simon Finlay)

While the dad-of-three has owned a number of more practical cars as he got older, he said he has never forgotten his first car and hoped one day to own the model again.

In 2020, he found himself with some extra money which was kindly left to him by his grandparents.

Speaking to Dubtales, Mr Myall said: "I was very grateful for this.

"I had a look on Car and Classic, not really expecting to find anything.

Paul's new Volkswagon FastbackPaul's original Fastback from 1990. (Image: Submitted)

"This car was advertised as a running, driving, MoTd, low mileage UK car, and I thought there had to be a horror story under it somewhere."

Mr Myall was "pleasantly surprised" to find a working Fastback with nearly all its original parts and paintwork so he decided to buy it.

Not only did he get the car he's been thinking about for 30 years, but he was also given a folder full of documents about its past.

The magazine Paul saw the original model inThe magazine Paul saw the original model in (Image: Submitted)

The car has no stereo, no chrome trim down the side, one wing mirror, one sun visor, but he said it's a "smiles per hour car" which attracts attention and waves wherever he goes.

"It’s one of those experiences where it’s got a particular smell, with the vinyl interior, and you remember the thin steering wheel," he reminisced.

"I get in it and it transports me – I’m 18 again in 1990, watching mechanics at Bug Jam roof-chopping a split screen bus over the weekend, with some crazy stuff going down the strip and seeing the Prodigy live. Every time I get in that car it takes me back to that time.

"It's a forever car."

To read more about this journey, click here for the Dubtales website.