“Apparently it was a French tourist with no insurance who drove onto the beach in the dark of the storm, and said  'C'est la vie' before walking away once he knew the car was a goner,” she said.

“The other story was that it was a couple from Switzerland who were forced to scramble out and seek shelter in the thunder and lightning while watching their new car  tipped over by the waves in the dead of night.

“The Headland grapevine clearly divided.

“What I do know is there was lots of stuff was left in the car, with beachcombers also picking up stuff washed along the beach like a fuel container and lantern and a hockey stick. A suitcase was half buried by sand still in the car, quite surreal, like a shipwreck, with driftwood on the back seat. A cautionary tale.”