A British gearhead who suffered a stroke while restoring a classic Lotus Esprit was shocked to find that his friends had completed the restoration for him in just five weeks.

Simon Pritchard, 36, was restoring the 25-year-old supercar when he suffered a stroke, the BBC reports. Pritchard suffers from Reiter's Syndrome, a form of arthritis that affects the entire body, and has had several small strokes.

When members of an online Lotus community that Pritchard belonged to heard about his illness, they all chipped in their time and money to help complete the project.

Andy Betts, the administrator of the Lotus website, was inspired to help Pritchard after a phone call with his distraught wife Kelly, where she explained that Pritchard was still trying to finish the car despite being unwell.

Betts set out recruiting car enthusiasts, car parts and money to help restore the car. After five weeks and 2000 hours of labor, the car was finished and presented to Pritchard in a ceremony.