A GARAGE left a customer stunned this week by giving him a 171mph Ferrari when he asked for a courtesy car.

James Hartley, 39, dropped his old BMW into A.J. Dunlop in Beaconsfield on Tuesday to get the brakes tested.

But when all the courtesy cars were booked out, owner Alex Dunlop handed over the keys to his own £40,000 Ferrari 348 TB.

James, who lives in The Spinney in Beaconsfield, is a long-standing customer of the garage in London End. He said: “I was just a bit surprised considering my car is a ten-year-old BMW.

“It's a little local garage and usually you get a little Citroen or something. They said because you're a good customer you can have the Ferrari.

“I've never driven something like that before. My work mates were all quite impressed and wanted to take it for a drive.

“It's quite an old one so its hard work and doesn't have power steering, but it's beautiful to look at.”

Alex, who also helps organise the town's traditional stretcher race, said: “James's mouth dropped when I said take the Ferrari.

“He's a trusted customer and has been with us a long time. I'm not sure if I'd do it again.”