Film star John Travolta has been in the news of late as a result of the theft of his classic Mercedes SL and its subsequent return to him in a state of almost entire dismantlement. Now a more positive story about his love of classic cars has emerged in the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Mr Travolta has apparently become a high profile celebrity customer of Clinton's Auto Body & Service garage, after he sent one of his classic cars in for some restoration work.

The vehicle in question is a 1958 Ford Thunderbird (Note: not the car pictured above) and according to garage owner, Eddie Clinton, it was sent to him by Travolta several months ago, with the request that it be completely overhauled.

This involved over 90 days of hard work, including weekend sessions, during which the interior and exterior were brought back to their former glory and an entirely new white paint job was applied.

Mr Clinton said that the car was a classic in its own right, but its famous owner gave it that extra edge of intrigue, causing many locals to become interested in the project which, in turn, helps to promote both classic cars and his business.