Dame Joanna Lumley is set to lend a hand in a poignant episode of Car SOS.

The National Geographic programme returns for its 14th series with another collection of vehicle restorations and dramatic reveals, and the actress features in the opening episode.

The instalment, which will be broadcast on March 12, features "a show-stopping reunion" as Joanna assists in returning a meticulously restored Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite to its owner, whose love story with their late partner started in the vehicle over six decades ago.

This mission proves among the most challenging yet for presenters Tim Shaw and Fuzz Townshend. They must secretly remove the Frogeye Sprite from its owner's garage, where it has remained stored for more than half a century.

The car is John's pride and joy, but family life forced him to sideline the little roadster, and years locked away has allowed rot to set in. The body is now riddled with rust, the engine is seized, the gearbox needs a full rebuild, and the interior is falling apart, reports Wales Online.

The television duo are committed to preserving as many original parts as feasible - however, John's misplaced garage keys mean a locksmith might arrive unexpectedly.

A synopsis states: "Can the Car SOS team complete the daring restoration in time for an emotional reveal at an English vineyard, with surprise help from Dame Joanna Lumley? The clock is ticking."

The series will also feature Tim and Fuzz taking on one of their most unusual projects to date, with Lamborghini's support on an rare Silhouette, completing the show's first motorcycle restoration for a former sub-postmaster impacted by the Horizon scandal, and transforming a Rover P4 into a therapeutic vehicle to aid men's mental health.

"This season is on another level," Tim explains. "The cars are rarer, the builds are tougher, and the responsibility to get it right for the families is enormous. When you hear firsthand what some of them have been through, you'll understand why these reveals mean everything."

Fuzz continues: "Every year we think we've taken on our toughest restoration, and every year the bar somehow is set higher."

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Car SOS premieres on March 12 on National Geographic, with new episodes airing every Thursday at 8pm