A couple who won £184million in the EuroMillions have splashed out - on a second-hand Volvo estate car.
Joe, 49, and Jess Thwaite, 44, became Britain's biggest ever lottery winners last month, and with their first major purchase they opted for a £38,000 grey V60.
Photos show the couple arriving at their front gate in the motor for a meeting with builders.
Joe previously said he is “not a great car person” and his dream motor was a Skoda Superb estate “because of the amount of stuff you can get in the boot”.
He had been driving a Hyundai but said: “I’m going to get something that does the job and is a big upgrade to my old little car that’s covered in dents.”
Plans to renovate their grade II-listed home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, appear to be ongoing - having been started before they scooped the cash prize off a lucky dip ticket.
The pair recently moved into the £650,000 property with their two children, both at primary school.
They said they are "not sure anyone is really prepared for a win like this".
Despite their newfound wealth, neighbours are not surprised the Thwaites are refusing to recklessly splash the cash.
One told The Sun: "They’re mega lottery winners but first and foremost they’re down-to-earth people who have worked hard their whole lives.
"The car is smart, respectable and sensible — just like Joe and Jess.
"You might expect them to go and buy a Ferrari or a Bugatti. The fact that they’ve not splurged it all on sports cars or booze shows what great people they are."
The couple previously explained they didn't want to hide their win from loved ones so decided to go public.
Jess said: “I don’t want to lie to family and friends, I want to enjoy it with them.
“Maybe, naively, I thought we could tell a few people and it would be fine. But the list gets longer and soon you realise it would be a burden asking them to keep it quiet. Telling people makes it easier.”
Jess said the inspiration behind their win is her late father, who always played before he passed away.
She first told her sister she had a 'secret,' the response was 'are you pregnant?'
"It's better than being pregnant," Jess joked.
Joe said: "I looked it up and saw we’d won. I saw how much and I didn’t know what to do.
"I couldn’t go back to sleep, I didn’t want to wake Jess up so I just laid there for what seemed like forever. I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty!"
Eventually the alarm rang and as Jess struggled to turn it off Joe told her: "I’ve got a secret, I’ve got something to tell you."
Jess’ initial reaction when presented with the news was disbelief, thinking Joe had it wrong, the National Lottery app was wrong or that it was a joke.
The couple had bought their EuroMillions lucky dip ticket on the National Lottery App and received an email the next morning saying there was good news regarding their ticket.
In the UK, winners have the right to remain anonymous - with six of 10 opting to do so.
This includes the second-biggest winner after the Thwaite's who won £170 million in 2019.
