By Jimny she's a real head-turner, a winner on looks and performance -- and a great 'promotional vehicle' for his business.

Keighley Auto Painting's Darren Wilson is getting calls from all over the country -- and the continent --whenever his customised Suzuki puts in an appearance on the road, at trials or is featured in the specialist autosport press.

It's virtually a 'rolling advert,' said the 29-year-old garage owner who lives in Russell Street, Keighley.

He picked up a new Jimny, immediately ripped it apart, then repackaged it into an off-road trials winner, attracting the notice of manufacturers Suzuki and the motoring public.

Suzuki came and looked and 'couldn't believe what we were doing,' and Off Road and Four Wheel Drive magazine did a big spread. And the phone's never stopped ringing, or people driving on spec from all over Britain to see him.

"They're wanting all sorts of information and advice. Can I do this conversion, can I do that? We're fully booked up to February on engine conversions, body conversions and cages," he said.

Darren used to prepare the odd rally car and sponsor a few, but has been competitively off-roading for the past five years.

He and co-driver Steve McInnes, also from Steeton, throw the 4x4 round the vertical drops and mud and water-filled hollows of rough land all over the North, at venues from Lothersdale to Tong, Briercliffe to Robin Hood's Bay.

He has led his class in the Northern Counties off road trails club from start to finish this year.

Darren knew the worth of the Suzuki as a good off-roader and when the price of a new Jimny came down, he seized his chance, taking delivery of a brand-new model with just 36 miles on the clock.

Then the fun began as he stripped and cut away this and that to give it the full works ... including cut-away arches, suspension uplifted by three inches, full-roll cage and a wheel-base shortened by two inches to fit well inside his trials class designation.

Like life, size does matter because those two inches get him inside the technical requirements for his class.

Incidentally his wife Angela drives in the same class and is good enough to come fourth in the Samurai which off course Darren prepares.

"She wanted to have a go and she's good for sales," he said. "If they see a women doing it, people think they can too."

And his dad Colin also competes in the same class in his distinctive hybrid of Suzuki Jeep, Vitara engine and Land Rover body. "He's a businessman in and out of the country and misses four or five events. But he still gives me a run for my money," Darren said.

Darren plans to defend his title next year -- "I can't leave trialing since it's been good to me." But he will also race a long wheelbase Suzuki in timed events known as Comp-Safari. His co-driver here will be Paul Short, of Sutton, who has a steelworks business, Frank Barrett, in Skipton.

He reckons he now has £14-15,000 in his modified Jimny which is a million miles from its basic under £9,000 price-tag.

But then again it's value as a showcase for his vehicle body-building talent is priceless.

n Darren can be contacted at the Old Exchange garage, Russell Street, Keighley. His website is www.kapsuzuki4x4co.uk