An AA mechanic has been branded a 'hero' after fixing a broken down Land Rover - with a POTATO.
Mario Papademetriou, 59, managed to mend the 50-year-old motor's failed ignition system by strapping a potato to the engine with cable ties and screws.
Mario, an AA patrolman, was called to a Hertfordshire farm to fix the 1960s vintage Land Rover, which was not starting because the ignition did not work.
The condenser, which is part of the ignition system on older vehicles, was broken, but since he did not have a spare one to hand, north-east London patrolman Mario decided to see if he could make his own one.
Mario was unable to tow the vehicle from the farmland, and needed to bodge a condenser to help it limp 12 miles to the nearest garage.
After his first attempt, using tinfoil and silicone repair tape, failed, he decided to get creative.
Mario said: "As the vehicle was on a farm, there were a lot of vegetables around, so I thought I'd try wiring up a potato with a couple of screws to act as a condenser.
"Amazingly, it started instantly, so I followed the member to the garage and he said the vehicle had never driven so well."
For his remarkable efforts, Mario won an internal AA competition to find the most original and inventive roadside repair.
Technical director Donald MacSporran said: "Our patrols work on pretty much any vehicle on the road and pride themselves on their ability to fix them.
"While they regularly go the extra mile with some very inventive repairs, we continue to invest in their training and equipment to maintain our leading fix rate.
"Although vegetables are best left on the dinner plate, Mario's use of a potato was definitely a chip above the others - an excellent example of thinking outside the box, or should that be sack."
The condenser absorbs the voltage spike as the points open and close when the key is turned, amplifying the spark that eventually starts the engine.
The potato worked because it was connected to the switching side of the coil, and absorbed some of the energy from the voltage spike, producing a reasonable spark that was able to start the engine.
An AA spokesperson added: "We were sceptical which is why we had to try it ourselves.
"The Land Rover we tried it on would not start with the condenser removed but started instantly the potato was connected to the coil switching terminal."
The potato isn't the only foodstuff that has been used to fix or run a car.
In the old days, a raw egg could sometimes be cracked into a car's radiator to seal a leak.
Chewing gum has also been used to temporarily fix a windscreen seal, while baking soda and warm water can clean battery terminals.
