THE next owner of a publishing company, which was started by a south Wiltshire entrepreneur, will not only get the business, but a classic Ferrari as well.

Charles Mitford, of Berwick St Leonard, who founded Charterhouse Books, in 1994, has a background in design engineering and is moving more and more into technology-based businesses.

He wants to sell Charterhouse, which also trades as Charterhouse Readers Offers, to an entrepreneur who will grow it further.

To this end, he has put the Buy the company, get a free Ferrari' advert in the industry's trade journals, Publishing News and the Bookseller.

Managing director Mr Mitford (42), who describes himself as a serial entrepreneur, said: "I have not been doing any active publishing for a while, as I have been moving in other directions I have a security business and am involved in product design.

"But I know there are a lot of people looking for a second career or working for a publisher, who want to start up on their own."

He said the car was being offered along with the business because it related to one of Charterhouse's most successful publications a best-selling book about the motor trade, entitled Four Wheels to a Fortune.

It was written anonymously by a wealthy car dealer, who began with £150 buying and selling bangers purchased from car auctions, while still at college, and went on to become a millionaire dealer in Italian sports cars within only four years.

Now in its seventh edition, the book has sold more than a million copies through mail order adverts in the UK motoring press.

These adverts showed the author's first Ferrari, a classic 308 GTS, which is worth about £25,000 and will go to the new owner of Charterhouse, so that he or she can continue to use it to promote the book.

"The car was the proof that the author really did make a fortune," said Mr Mitford, who runs bespoke CCTV systems company Security Vision International and has also invented a children's character called Charley Saurus.

He added that, for £100,000, the buyer of Charterhouse will take advantage of mail-order credit card facilities at one per cent, long-term membership of MOPS the monitoring body for sale off the page' advertisements in the national press licensing rights and stock.

"For the first £87,000 they make, they will not have to pay any tax, so it's quite a bargain," said Mr Mitford.

"And, if someone local takes it on, I can give them assistance."