A car with a storied past has found a new home in the island, after spending nearly nine decades in America.

The 90-year-old Pontiac Coupe, built in New York in 1929, is owned by Robin and Ian Birdsall, who live in Malew, and forms part of a classic car collection.

At a time when minimum wage in the United States was a mere 25 cents per hour, a new Pontiac Coupe would set a buyer back $795.

Robin, who moved to the island in January 2016, told the Manx Independent: ’When we go out in it, people do stop to look and even wave at us, it is a car which people like to see.’

This exact car was one of 30 automobiles in the collection of Wendell Chapelle of Addison NY. Mr Chapelle and his wife Marcia were murdered at their farm in January 1964 by a neighbour, Fred Rial. That summer the collection of cars was offered at public auction.

From there, the car was bought by a Dr Roe of Canisteo NY on June 27 for $1,000. He kept it until 1965, when he traded it for a newer car.

In 1966, it was bought by Robin’s father, Delmar E. Haynes. She said: ’It remained on the showroom of my father’s Pontiac dealership located in Maryville, Tennessee for most of its life.

’After my father’s death in 2011 the Pontiac was stored at the family home until March of this year, when my husband shipped it to the Isle of Man.

’We downsized in America and didn’t have a garage to store it in, so shipping it to the island ensured we could keep it in the family.’

The couple have driven it around the island. Ian said it ’will sit comfortably at 40mph’.

He added : ’American cars like this were streets ahead of the British equivalents of that era such as Aston Martins. The Pontiac actually seems pretty modern, despite its age. It is truly a great machine.’

Robin and Ian have the owner’s manual, a brochure from the period and pictures of the car when it was new.

Ian said: ’The owner’s manual is more detailed than most modern garage manuals, but it was when people expected to have to fix their own car.’

The couple have a collection of classic cars, which Ian keeps in top condition through his expertise running the Classic Vehicle Care company.