One of the first Tesla electric cars driven in the UK has been donated to Glasgow Museums.

Chris Clarkson handed the car over to curators after he was inspired by visits to the city’s Transport Museum as a youngster.

The cutting-edge car, which was one of the first 30 released in the UK, will be on display at Glasgow Museum Resource Centre before it forms part of a major exhibition at the Riverside Museum in 2019.

Mr Clarkson, from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, ordered the car in 2013 and received it the next year.

He said: “I’m pleased to have donated the Tesla, my family have really enjoyed our time with this incredible machine and it’s exciting to see a car of the future now take up its place in history.

Chris Clarkson has donated his Tesla after four years of use (CSG CIC Glasgow Museums/PA)
Chris Clarkson has donated his Tesla after four years of use (CSG CIC Glasgow Museums/PA)

“I loved visiting the Transport Museum and the People’s Palace as a youngster, and today I enjoy taking my own children to both museums.

“They do a wonderful job of using interesting objects to tell important stories, such as the dangers of climate change and why we need to develop more environmentally-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles.”

Councillor David McDonald, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “We are very grateful to Chris for his generous donation to the city’s collection. This car is a very special object.

“Clearly it has benefited from Chris’s careful ownership and his experiences, but more than that it is a pioneer representing a new dawn in electric vehicle development.

“The public can see it at Glasgow Museum Resource Centre until it is unveiled as part of a new display we are working on for Riverside, Scotland’s museum of transport and travel.”