12:36 pm, October 8, 2011
BANGERS4BEN usually encourages some mad entries from people doing something special for charity.
But we couldn’t have made up one team’s entry in Bangers4BEN 2011 – a newlywed couple!
HPI’s operations director Andy Entwistle and his wife Toni Emmins-Entwistle are ditching the normal protocol of going somewhere sunny and hot for their honeymoon.
Instead the couple are choosing to spend their special honeymoon on Bangers4BEN.
That’s right – the four day-long excursion to the home of Ferrari and back again, in cars that cost £500 or less, and which will be sold at a special auction with all the proceeds going to charity.
‘Funnily – Toni was the one who said we should treat Bangers4BEN as our honeymoon,’ Entwistle told us. ‘Taking part in Bangers4BEN on your honeymoon is definitely going to make a special event even more special.’
In fact, before heading out to Italy this weekend on the charity run, the pair have going only just returned from the country… where they tied the knot!
‘Last week we were getting married in Sorrento. So this week has been spent answering emails and spending far much too time in the office,’ said Entwistle. ‘But, knowing that we’ll be returning to a country which means a lot to us, we’re able to get through this week without feeling too much pain! After getting married, this week has been a real ‘return to earth with a bump’ moment.’
That’s not to mention Italy being special for the couple for different reasons too. ‘Toni’s grandfather was Italian, and with me being a real ‘petrol-head’ and going to the home of Ferrari, Bangers4BEN going to a special country for us is just great.’
The newly weds will be competing in the 1,700-mile trip in a 17-year old BMW 520. In keeping with the ‘special’ theme, the Beemer has an unusual story attached to it as well.
‘It’s a one owner from new car, and has only done 100,000 miles,’ said Entwistle. ‘It’s been serviced every six months at a BMW dealer!
‘The car meant a lot to the old lady we bought it off of, so we feel a litle obliged not to, how shall I say it? Ruin it appearance-wise. In fact the lady has been emailing me a lot asking ‘have you gone yet?’ and ‘have you any pictures?’.’
Many teams who take part in Bangers4BEN dress up, and it was Entwistle’s plan for the pair to go dressed in a wedding dress and suit. ‘But Toni was having none of it, so we scrapped that and we’re going as the Wacky Races.’
But that hasn’t stopped Entwistle’s creativity. He plans to drive to Dover to meet up with the other B4B teams on Saturday with the car dressed with white ribbons and a ‘Just Married’ sign on the boot-lid. ‘I haven’t told Toni yet. Don’t count on the car turning up like that!’
We’ll be tweeting relentless on the trip – follow BEN and Car Dealer’s editor James Baggott now – and will be blogging away with lots of pictures.
Follow the couple’s progress via their tracker here
