Ballyclare dad wins dream £100k car and cash prize just days after celebrating his 50th birthday
A Ballyclare father-of-three is celebrating after landing a “life-changing” competition prize worth more than £100,000 just days after celebrating his 50th birthday.
Simon Lloyd, from B allyclare, won a £82,840 Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid and £20,000 cash courtesy of online firm BOTB.
A project manager for an energy company, Simon was stunned when BOTB presenter Christian Williams knocked on his door to reveal he had won the company’s latest Dream Car competition.
“I thought it was the postman,” he said, moments after being led down his street by Christian to see his sleek new SUV parked and waiting for him.
“What a delivery! I need to compose myself – I’m absolutely blown away. You always daydream about these sorts of competitions when you enter them, but then you forget about it. To actually win – it’s surreal.”
The Volkswagen Touareg R is a high-performance, plug-in hybrid SUV, combining a V6 petrol engine with an electric motor to produce an impressive 456 bhp. It’s as powerful as it is luxurious, and Simon couldn’t believe it was now his.
“I’ve always loved the Touareg – it looks classy,” he said. “This is going to take my daily commute to a whole new level. I can’t believe there’s one here with my name on it.”
But despite his love for the car, Simon admitted he’s seriously considering the cash alternative. “I would love to take the car. It ticks all the boxes, but the money will provide so many opportunities for me and my family,” he said.
“I have twin girls who are heading to university in September, so I’ll be able to put some money aside for them. They’ve recently passed their driving tests too, so I’ll be able to get them a runaround.
“It would also be nice to use some on a holiday, and hopefully there’ll be enough left over to get a cool car for myself.”
As if the car wasn’t enough, the competition team opened the boot to reveal £20,000 in cash. “This is life-changing,” Simon said. “I think I’m going to need a strong cup of tea after this.”
Christian said: “Simon was such a brilliant winner – genuinely shocked and such a lovely guy. And with his birthday just over the weekend, the timing couldn’t have been better. What a present.”
Co-presenter Katie Knight, who joined Christian on the surprise reveal, commented: “You could see just how much the surprise meant to Simon. It’s one of those moments that reminds you why we love doing this – seeing people’s dreams come true.”
BOTB hands over the keys to a dream car each week, as well as offering lifestyle prizes. Founded in 1999, it has given away £102m-worth of cars so far.
Simon added: “The whole thing has been a fantastic experience. I keep thinking to myself, ‘Did that really happen?’ Opening my door to BOTB and seeing the car was some birthday present.”