Moo-ve over: The couple say the West Country is a driver's dream

Rob Haworth, who farms near Bradworthy, is turning his obsession with open-top sports cars into a business with the help of a rural enterprise grant.

The cash from the Department for Rural Affairs (Defra) will be used to convert a barn into a workshop and storage area for Westfield sports cars.

Mr Haworth will then hire out the cars for �140 a day.

There are not many industries that have been hit as hard as farming." Elizabeth Haworth

The idea followed a meeting Mr Haworth, 54, and his wife Elizabeth, 53, arranged with Defra following the foot and mouth epidemic.

Mrs Haworth, said: "My husband has always been very enthusiastic about Westfields.

"But we have not got huge sums of money to invest so the money from Defra is ideal.

"It will enable us to store the cars in a purpose-built environment rather than next to the barley store, which is a bit dusty."

Driver's dream

The cows on the couple's 300-acre farm are not in danger of being evicted, yet.

Mrs Haworth said: "Whatever diversification you enter, it has got to be enjoyable, because you can only have one main job, and that is still farming.

"It is difficult though. There are not many industries that have been hit as hard as farming."

The Westfield is an open-topped kit car, built in the Midlands, based on the British Racing Green Lotus 7 designed by the late Colin Chapman.

And the couple reckon it is perfect for the West Country's roads.

Mrs Haworth said: "West Country roads are much quieter than in urban areas - it's every driver's dream in Devon and Cornwall."