A 12-year-old grey Audi 90.

Aren't you going to get a new car with the proceeds from the Jeffrey Archer story?

Hopefully, in two weeks, I'll be getting a second hand Audi A4 - it's everything my old beloved Audi was but with all the latest updates.

Surely you could have got more money for the story and bought a better car?

Without sounding too saccharine, if I'd got more money I'd have given it to charity. I wanted to stick with an Audi as I've yet to discover anything wrong with them.

Was it worth all the publicity?

I didn't sell the story for a new car.

How does your car compare with Jeffrey Archer's?

He's had lots of Daimlers and Jaguars but I'm not jealous - I've had those in the past and I love my Audi.

What does the old Audi say about you?

I'm staid, solid and dependable.

What do you like about it?

It's easy, comfortable and beautifully engineered. It's been voted the safest car in the world many times. It's carried my wife and me for about 90,000 miles and never let us down.

Is a car important to you?

Yes, my family is spread out so I use it to get to them. I need it for all the usual things: freedom, flexibility. If public transport was better I'd use the car less.

What was your first car?

A very old Austin 7 bought for a fiver in 1954. It didn't last long.

What kind of driver are you?

Safe. My one offence was speeding down Constitution Hill 30 years ago in a TR5 - I was doing 45mph.

Any bad habits?

I catch myself being less tolerant of other road users.

Any driving test tales?

When I did it you had to be proficient in giving hand signals, which I did once while changing gear at the same time. Astonishingly, the examiner didn't notice I had both hands off the wheel.

What sort of state is your car in ?

The rust is beginning to show.

What's in the boot/glove compartment?

Power tools in the boot and plastic gloves in the glove compartment.

Have you ever had sex in a car?

Nothing I could repeat and not in the last 40 years.

What music do you listen to on the road?

Middle of the road for on the road. I've got cassettes of Sinatra and Nat King Cole - the music I grew up with. Also Richard Burton narrating Under Milkwood, which I play incessantly. I always find something new in it.

What would be your dream car?

The classic Rolls-Royce Corniche - it's stylish and artistic.

Who would be your dream passenger?

My maternal grandmother. She died when I was 7 and I've since researched her life. I'd love to be able to sit beside her on a long trip.

Do you get recognised in your car?

No not that I'm aware of. I haven't seen any two fingers.

Ted Francis received at least £14,000 for spilling the beans on his old friend Jeffrey Archer