Friends to attempt Shropshire to Vietnam drive in old car
It is more than 20 years old and has about 100,000 miles on the clock.
But two friends will be hoping their 1994 Volkswagen Golf will remain reliable when they drive more than 12,000 miles from Shropshire to Vietnam in aid of charity.
Ed Huffer, from Bucknell, and Bruce Gutteridge, from Shrewsbury, will attempt the challenge in two parts – part one of which will see them travel for four weeks from July to Mongolia.
The journey, which is being done in aid of Midlands Air Ambulance, will take them across 15 countries, including deserts, mountainous ranges, and into the unknown.
The pair, who are both in their 20s, said: "We started talking about such a venture when we hired a car to explore Tuscany back in June 2016.
"We thought about taking one of our own cars around Europe but joked that they’d probably break down and leave us stranded. Then we thought how exciting it might be to actually take an awful car and break down in the middle of nowhere!
"We are setting out in our trusty 1994 Volkswagen Golf which we saved from an inevitable demise at the hands of the local scrapyard.
"We will leave Shropshire and travel overland, setting our sights on Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, or Salop2Saigon.
"With no sat nav, no air-con and no support team or backup, we will place our trust in good old-fashioned human nature and good-will. Once our trusty Golf can’t carry us any further, we’ll set out on foot and head cross-country to reach Saigon by any means."
Bruce is head of marketing and business development for an international company, while Ed is a registered paramedic working for the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Ed said: "Through Bruce’s love of motorcycling and my work, we have a mutual admiration of the work carried out by the Midlands Air Ambulance.
"The Midlands Air Ambulance is entirely funded by charitable donations. With three aircraft carrying out over 2,000 missions over six counties, the charity needs over £7 million per year to continue their life-saving work."
Ellesmere-based The Signtists is sponsoring the pair and has fitted the graphics on the car.
Owner Lincoln McMullan said: "I wish them the best of luck. It is a brave thing they are doing. It is for a great cause."
For more information about the challenge, or to support the pair, visit https://salop2saigon.com/
