Driver Guy is getting ready for a European road trip 70 years on

Guy Loveridge, of Emley, West Yorkshire, will join fellow writers to commemorate an audacious 2,500-mile road trip challenge by the Austin Motor Company in March 1947 by carrying out the same trip, hour for hour, 70 years on.

The company originally tasked the crews of three Austin Sixteen cars with covering 2,500 miles in seven days, visiting seven European capital cities and arriving in Geneva in time for the first post-war motor show.

The 70th anniversary recreation will see an Austin Sixteen conduct the same trip in March. This time, participants will include Mr Loveridge, plus Philip Newsome, of Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire.

Thank to support from Cleckheaton firm Mintex, the event is being called ’The Mintex Austin Sixteen Goodwill Tour Platinum Anniversary 1947-2017’. The original event crossed from Newcastle to Stavanger and then went overland to the start in Oslo. That route is unavailable now so the team will cross to Holland and drive to Copenhagen, before taking the ferry up to the start point. Mr Loveridge, an author, photographer and member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, said: “We are looking forward it. We tried to do something for the 50th and 60th anniversaries but it didn’t come off, but this time it will.”

He said it was appropriate that Mintex was involved because the company supplied parts to the original cars.