Mark Senior, Paul Horne, Andrew Ramsden, Jamie Lupton and their £100 Proton Persona successfully took part in the 2009 Scally Rally from Calais to Rimini.

Mark, 42, said: "It was absolutely fantastic! We had a few little setbacks but the highlight was going up the passes in Switzerland and Italy.

"You see those passes on Top Gear but you don't really appreciate them until you are there, they just go up and up."

The Scally Rally is a European banger rally – for cars costing no more than £100.

They hold rallies in Europe, Ireland and the Arctic but the four friends chose The Road to Rimini which started in Calais before crossing France to Switzerland, going over the Alps, down into Italy and up again into the Dolomites before heading down to the finish on the Adriatic coast.

This year 40 cars took part and all but two made it to the party at the finish line.

"There were some really old cars, an F-reg Volvo, but I guess that will go on forever, a couple of old Toyotas and an old G-reg mini, that made it too," said Mark.

"When we were coming down from the passes we did have to keep stopping because the brakes were getting too hot. One road down had 49 hair-pin bends so we stopped five or six times and used snow to cool the brakes.

"The car was absolutely fantastic though. The engine was brilliant and the only problems we had were a blow-out and the back passenger window fell down so we had to seal it up with gaffer tape.

"The car was scrapped at the end of the rally. It was a pity we couldn't have brought it back and done another rally in it next year."

He added that so far they have collected about £2,500 in sponsorship but still hope to reach their £3,000 target, all of which will go to the Alzheimer's Society.

Anyone who wants to help the lads reach their £3,000 target should contact Mark on 07980 871176 or visit www.justgiving.com/mayneedapush.