10:51 pm, July 18, 2010
THIS year we’ve supercharged our Bangers4BEN adventure – and we’re heading all the way to Monaco!
No, we’re not joking, we actually want you to come along and drive with us to the playground of the rich and famous in a bunch of old bangers.
The 1,600-mile route is fraught with dangers – French drivers, stinky cheese and incredibly strong red wine – but you’ll be safe in the knowledge you’re doing it for a very good cause.
If you’re not familiar with Bangers4BEN here’s how it works. First you have to buy a banger for no more than £500 (we’ve upped the price this year to take into account the longer trip).
It can cost less, it can cost more (and you’ll realise why in a minute), but you must get a receipt that shows you paid less than £500 for it. You then use that trusty steed to drive all the way to Monaco and back, then enter it in our special auction where all the cars are sold in aid of BEN, the automotive industry charity. Now you see why we don’t mind you spending more than £500 on the car…
Last year the sale of the cars, coupled with those teams that raised sponsorship money, meant together we raised more than £15,000 for BEN – and had a lot of fun along the way too!
There’s a £500 entry fee that covers accommodation for two people (sharing), ferry crossings, evening meals and breakfast. Not bad value, eh? You’ll have to cover the cost of fuel, tolls and insurance but that shouldn’t break the bank.
WHEN?
We’ll leave on Sunday, September 12, and arrive back in the UK on Wednesday, September 15. We’ve included a Sunday this year so it doesn’t take too much time out of your busy schedule and means we can have a (slightly) more leisurely run down through France. There are also prizes to be won.
There will be a gong for the overall winners – this is the team that raises the most money when selling their car (after the purchase price has been deducted).
There will also be prizes for the best fancy dress – this will be mandatory on the first day; and a prize for the best themed car (last year’s winners made their Hyundai look like a Rolls-Royce)! And every team gets a very cool participants’ trophy – which last year was an old engine valve encapsulated in perspex.
We’ve only got 30 places on the 2010 event and last year it sold out within a week, so you need to get in quick.
RESERVE NOW
To reserve your place simply log on to ben.org.uk/Bangers4BEN where you can pay your entrance fee. This reserves your team’s place. You’ll then need to start looking for a car – which is the hard bit! Please be aware the entrance fee is non-refundable.
Participants get lots of coverage in Car Dealer and on our website – full details of last year’s rally, blogs, pictures and videos can be found by visiting Bangers4BEN.com – and you may even be able to write the entry fee off as a marketing expense. Check with your accountant first though!
Next month we’ll reveal more details about the event and the route, but we suggest in the meantime you get in quick and reserve your places.
If you’ve got any questions give the Car Dealer team a call on 023 9252 2434 and we’ll do our best to help.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE CLICK HERE: ben.org.uk/Bangers4BEN
