Detroit machine operator James Robertson got on Friday his dream car - a Ford Taurus - at no cost and with more than US$300,000 cash money to boot.

Robertson didn't win the lotto, the car was gifted to him by the Suburban Ford dealer in Sterling Heights after he won hearts for dedication to work. Media reported that Robertson has been walking 21 miles a day from his house and the factory in Detroit and back home for the past 10 years.

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His old car bogged down 10 years ago, and with his salary, he could not afford to buy even a second-hand vehicle. To worsen matters, the city's public buses cover only half his trip to the factory in the morning, and the service is no longer available at night, forcing him to walk home daily.

Moving near his workplace was also out of the question since buying a new house was not an option due to his financial situation.

When a college student, Evan Leedy, learned of the factory worker's plight, he created a crowdfunding site, GoFundMe, for Robertson which had raised so far more than US$300,000.

In an interview with media, Robertson, after he learned of the amount raised, said that he wants to buy a Ford Taurus, which costs US$35,215.

He went on Friday to the Ford dealership to get some brochures, but to his surprise, a brand new, red Ford Taurus was waiting for him for free.

When asked by David Fischer Jr., co-owner of Suburban Collection, if he likes the car, Robertson replied, "I don't like it ... I love it. It's just as I had envisioned," quotes Detroit Free Press.

The man instrumental in arranging for Robertson's free car is Blake Pollock, a banker who noticed the factory worker walk daily on the same route he passes for years. One day, Pollock offered him a ride, and that started a friendship. During their conversations, the banker found that Robertson's US$10.55 per hour wage couldn't afford him to replace his old Honda.

Leedy said that with Robertson's new car, there is no further need for the factory worker's transportation needs that he decided to close GoFundMe on Sunday. The amount crowdfunded would still go to Robertson for car insurance and his other personal needs.

With his spanking new vehicle, Robertson, 56, will surely maintain his perfect attendance record at Schain Mold & Engineering where he is employed as plastic injection molding machine operator. After all, if lack of transport didn't deter him the past decade, his new wheels would surely make life easier for the hardworking Detroit resident, but also for other Detroit employees with similar public transport workers because his story led authorities to talk seriously about the city's bus system.

Tagscar, walking, Detroit