A retired Taieri man is "taking the money and running" after winning a Lotto Father's Day promotion of a choice between a high-performance Ford or Holden car.
It had taken the man, who did not want to be identified, more than two months to check the ticket he had bought, as he had put it away in a drawer not expecting to win.
"The other day I was going to town and thought I'd get it checked. It was shock to the system."
He had looked at the option of taking the Ford Performance Vehicle F6 or the Holden Special Vehicle Clubsport R8, but not being able to see either in Dunedin and considering the fuel and maintenance costs, decided to take the cash option.
"Not at my age. They're too big for me."
In a few days, he was expecting delivery of a new Toyota and his wife was planning a revamp of their kitchen. They were also thinking of travelling overseas.
The money had given them options they had not had before, he said.