A classic car enthusiast who bought the Ferrari of his dreams has ended up almost £10,000 out of pocket - and without the car.

Financial director Lee Holdaway 52, of Eversley Road, Bexhill, successfully bid £25,000 for the rare, blue Chiaro 328 GTS at an auction in London in March last year.

He pulled out of the deal after the hammer went down claiming there was not a full service history for the 1989 model which had 31,000 miles on the clock.

International car auctioneers Coys of Kensington rejected his claim and sued him for £6,309 in the county court for damages and debts, and won.

The 3.2 litre V8 car, capable of 150mph, was advertised in Coys' catalogue with a guide price of £29,000.

Mr Holdaway claimed Coys had "misrepres-ented" the car by stating that it had a "full service history".

He said there was no stamped service history but accepted there were invoices and bills for services dating back to its first owner.

He told the court: "I just think there were fundamental errors in the catalogue. These cars are so unusual. It was important to me that the car was right."

Coys, founded in 1919, blamed typographical errors for the wrong registration and chassis number being printed in the catalogue.

Managing director Douglas Jamieson told the court: "The moment before they buy a car, people are excited and they are exhilarated about it.

"The next day it is not uncommon for people to think, Have I done the right thing?'.

"We had made typographical errors in the catalogue and the proof setters had not put the correct chassis number and registration down. I think that spooked him to making the whole thing seem more complicated than it was."

At Hastings County Court, Judge Susan Sharpe awarded Coys £6,309 in sales commission, buyer's commission and transport and storage costs.

She said: "I have been fully aware throughout this matter of the emotions which classic cars engender." But she said the burden was on Mr Holdaway "to satisfy himself all was well with the car".

She said in her judgment the car did have a full service history. She said it had "extensive documentation" which. "could be taken to a main dealer and for a small fee a fully stamped version of the service history could be provided".

In a separate case motor trader Martin King, who put the car into the auction, successfully won his claim against Mr Holdaway for £2,900 for loss of profit, leaving Mr Holdaway with a total bill of £9,209.

Afterwards, Mr Holdaway, who owns a 1968 MGC Roadster, said: "I'm very disappointed with the decision."

The car, which has had six owners, has since been sold privately.