British mates take £400 car on 1,300-mile Benidorm charity challenge

Four British mates are preparing to swap the comfort of home for a 1,300-mile road trip across Europe in a £400 Ford Focus, all in the name of charity.

Josh, 38, David, 33, Tom, 40, and Sam, 34, all from Chesterfield, will set off on September 7 for the epic journey to Benidorm as part of the Rat Run challenge.

And while the friends are excited about the adventure, there is one major question hanging over the trip: will their ageing Ford Focus actually make it to Spain?

Meet the ‘Wiener Wagon’

The car, affectionately known as the “Wiener Wagon”, has already clocked up 106,000 miles.

The group has been busy preparing for the challenge, but admits none of them are exactly qualified mechanics.

“We’ve done plenty of preparation, although none of us are mechanics!” the group said.

“We’ve got breakdown cover, a few tools and have given our £400 Ford Focus, the ‘Wiener Wagon’, a bit of a makeover.”

Josh and Sam are brothers, while the four men have been mates for years. They decided to take part in the Rat Run for the fun and adventure, but fundraising is at the heart of their plans.

1,300 miles to Benidorm

The friends will leave Chesterfield at around 10am on September 7 before heading south to Dover.

From there, they will cross the Channel to Dunkirk and begin the long drive through France before continuing into Spain and eventually arriving in Benidorm.

The journey is expected to cover around 1,300 miles, putting the veteran Focus to the ultimate test.

For the four friends, however, the challenge is about much more than seeing whether their bargain car can survive the journey.

Charity at the heart of the challenge

The group is raising money for Childhood Tumour Trust and Breast Cancer Research, two causes which have a particularly personal connection after family members were affected by both illnesses.

Their GoFundMe fundraising campaign is ongoing, with donations helping the friends turn their European adventure into much-needed support for the charities.

“We’re doing the Rat Run for a bit of fun and adventure, but most importantly to raise money for Childhood Tumour Trust and Breast Cancer Research,” they said.

“Two charities that are very close to our hearts as family members have suffered with both illnesses.”

The fundraiser is currently showing £410 raised towards its £500 target from 25 donations, but the friends are continuing to appeal for support ahead of their departure.

Will the £400 Ford make it?

Their choice of vehicle has certainly added another element of adventure to the trip.

Rather than investing in a reliable modern car, the group has opted for the £400 Focus, giving it its unusual nickname and a makeover before setting off.

With more than 100,000 miles already on the clock, the car will have to cope with thousands of miles of driving, multiple countries and the demands of crossing Europe in September.

The friends have taken sensible precautions, including arranging breakdown cover and carrying a selection of tools, but they know there is only so much preparation they can do.

“We’re all really looking forward to it, although there’s definitely a bit of nervousness about whether the Wiener Wagon will actually make it!”

If everything goes according to plan, the group will travel from the UK through France and across Spain before reaching Benidorm, where the battered Focus will hopefully complete its unlikely transformation from £400 runaround to European road-trip survivor.

For four British mates who have known each other for years, the journey promises plenty of laughs, plenty of miles and plenty of money raised along the way.