OWNERS of one of the world's rarest cars came from all over the world to stay in a Herefordshire lodge and enjoy the county's winding country lanes.

The British Salmson Owners Club was set up in 1952 with the aim of fostering enthusiasm for the cars, as well as offering support to anyone interested in restoring or repairing the cars.

There are about 65 British Salmsons in existence around the world, and most owners belong to the club, which now focuses much of its attention on commissioning spare parts, as these are almost impossible to get hold of anywhere else. It also acts a self-help club, through which members can share knowledge and know-how.

The 2007 annual general meeting was held at the Belmont Lodge, Hereford, attended by around 20 members, some from as far as Sweden and the west coast of Canada.

Chairman John Maddison said: "We found the lodge to be an ideal base, and made a journey out to Abbey Dore Court Gardens, enjoying the winding roads and the rolling countryside on the way. We had 11 or 12 cars at the meeting this year, which is pretty impressive considering how many there are around the world.

"It was great to see people coming from so far away, some of whom we hadn't seen for the best part of 20 years."