Lorry driver wins two PORSCHES worth over £170k after ULEZ forced him to stop driving old car

Engaging video (click to play above) shows how a lorry driving widower Jimmy Calllaghan, 58, scooped the two speed machines worth over £170k combined. He won the “Early Bird Prize” in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw - after entering for just £35.

But he said when he first saw the email about the prize he almost deleted it - as he thought it was “probably spam". Jimmy’s new cars, a Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid and Porsche Boxster S, are a world away from his current daily drive, a Volvo FH16 lorry that has a top speed of just 55 mph.

The new motors - shown in the video above - can reach speeds of 158 mph and 177 mph respectively. Jimmy has worked as an HGV driver for 30 years, he currently works for construction company Quattro UK Ltd, delivering mixed cement to building projects.

But outside of work, Jimmy currently drives a Ford C-Max with 200k miles on the clock worth £2,000.

He’s looking forward to owning a ULEZ compliant car, as the new restrictions have meant he can no longer use his car in London - which has caused him severe inconvenience.

He said: "When I first saw the email from Omaze telling me I’d won something, my initial instinct was to delete it as I thought it was spam, I'm very glad I decided against it.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted when they told me I’d won not one but TWO Porsches. I still can’t believe it now even though I’m looking right at them.

“I’ve been wanting to upgrade my old Ford as I can’t drive it around London anymore because it’s not ULEZ compliant, that's been a real pain so I'm delighted I've got no such issues with these two.

“I’ve been driving lorries for 30 years, but winning these cars doesn’t feel like a busman’s holiday, I love it, these things are rapid! The guys at work are already calling me Jimmy two cars. They are absolutely stunning. To say they’re a bit different from my lorry would be a massive understatement. My lorry doesn’t even do 60mph - now I’ve got two cars that hit 60 in 4 seconds.”

Jimmy, whose wife died 18 years ago, lives in a rented flat in outer West London. He has been in and out of hospital all his life due to complications since birth and had only just come out of hospital to begin his recovery from an emergency appendicitis operation, when he found out about his double win.

He added: "I think I’ll turn more heads in these than I do in my lorry."

On his recent stay in hospital he said: “I’ve only just recovered from an emergency appendicitis operation, otherwise I’d be literally jumping for joy, but nothing makes you feel better than winning two Porsches I can tell you.

“I’ve been in and out of hospital all my life due to complications I’ve had since birth, so I reckon I’m due a bit of luck, and I reckon my luck has finally come in."

Jimmy’s Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is a four wheel drive with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces a whopping 470PS from a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and 25.9kWh battery - that provides over 40 miles of electric range. It can accelerate from 0-60mph in just over 4 seconds, has a top speed of 158 mph and covers a quarter mile in a little over 12 seconds

It comes with over £30k of extras including a Burmester sound system, with 21 speakers, Head-up display and ‘surround view’ parking cameras, Club Leather’ interior in Basalt Black, 14-way electric front seats with massage function as well as heated and cooled front and rear seats.

The Porsche Boxster S comes in black, with matching black roof and plus 20in wheels. Its 2.5-litre turbocharged ‘flat-four’ engine produces 350PS, and 420Nm of torque to the rear wheels, propelling the lithe sports car from 0-62mph in just 4.2sec and top speed of 177 mph. It covers a quarter mile in a 11 seconds

It has a seven-speed automatic ‘PDK’ gearbox, with manual paddle shift override, adaptive suspension and the Sport Chrono Package, with four driving modes.

It also has a BOSE surround sound system with 10 speakers, parking sensors and reversing camera, heated seats embossed with the Porsche crest and heated ‘GT sports’ steering wheel.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “We’re thrilled that Jimmy has won not one but two dream cars. Not only did he win one of our Early Bird Prizes, he also contributed to the incredible £3,500,000 raised for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).”

The latest draw guarantees that one lucky person will win a Hollywood Hills inspired mansion on the Wirral worth over £3 million - along with £250,000 in cash.

The winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw on the Wirral will get the keys to a contemporary, five-bedroom house complete with spectacular coastal views, a cinema room and a heated outdoor swimming pool.

As well as making its Grand Prize Winner a multi-millionaire, Omaze has guaranteed a minimum donation of £1 million for charity partner Scouts.

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, the Wirral, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 24th November for online entries and Tuesday 26th November 2024 for postal entries.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk.