A metal processing firm in the Black Country has become an internet sensation thanks to a popular TV show.

More than half a million people have taken part in a quiz on the BBC’s Top Gear website featuring Dudley-based Surface Processing Ltd.

The company, which strips the shells of old cars to remove rust and old paint, attracted the attention of the show’s producers who were looking for a new game for the site.

Players must guess the make and model of the car correctly from looking at a picture of a stripped-down body shell without any paintwork.

At one point it was the most-read page on the site, even attracting more hits than a video of The Stig meeting meeting Formula One star Sebastian Vettel.

And the business, which works on an average of 350 cars a year, has seen a surge in trade since the quiz went live.

Bosses are now taking on two new workers, to add to the 21 existing staff, to deal with the increase in orders.

Managing director Adrian McMurray said the television show’s producers heard about the company through a mutual acquaintance.

“Who would have thought we were going to get half a million people looking at the state of our cars?

“It’s amazing and I’m so pleased we were asked to take part,” he said.

Cars are lowered into a series of huge vats of stripping fluid, removing rust and decay and leaving the bare bodywork.

The vehicle then goes through a 19-stage painting process to put on a protective coat, which sees it dipped in various materials, before being “baked” in an oven at 185F.

Another layer can be added during the painting process to prevent it rusting again.

The average cost is about £1,500 per car and the majority of the firm’s customers are classic car collectors who want to restore their buy to its former glory.

Recent projects have included a Ford Consul Capri, a Ford Escort Mark One and a Volkswagen Golf Mark One, while classic Mini Coopers also regularly pass through the company’s base in Deepdale Lane.

Mr McMurray, who set up the firm in 1994, said: “With this process we clear out all the muck and rubbish, clear out the good majority of all the rust and you are left with a nice clear blank page on which to start the restoration.”

Along with cars, the firm also restores aerospace, construction and agricultural equipment.