Led by rally driver Trevor Mudd of Chandlers Building Supplies and accompanied by co-driver Sam Hanks of Cembrit, the team took home the overall winner’s trophy and also scooped the Best Dressed Car Award for its fully ‘pimped up’ three wheeled Reliant Rialto, affectionately known as Raquel.
Trevor said “This year’s rally was our most challenging yet but having come so close to winning last year we were hungry to get our hands on the trophy. We pulled out all the stops, met every madcap daily challenge head on and raised an incredible amount of money!
“Raquel was definitely the third member of our team this year. There were moments when we weren’t sure she’d make it, including on the trip from the UK to the starting line in France. But, thanks to the expert work of the automotive students at Hastings College, she pulled through and helped us to win!”
Trevor and Sam raised in excess of £7,000, surpassing their initial fund-raising target by over £2,000. A total of £133,000 was raised by the rally for the four selected charities.
Sue McKinney, Head of Marketing at Chandlers Building Supplies said: “Trevor and Sam can always be relied on to go the extra mile. They threw themselves into the daily challenges posed by this year’s rally with typical enthusiasm. As well as persuading a crowd of Harley Davidson bikers to dance a conga, they convinced an Austrian policeman to photograph them in the back of his car and they also both got tattoos!”
The family-owned builders’ merchants bought the 1986 classic three-wheeled car on Ebay for £200. It was then handed over to Hastings College’s Automotive Training Centre, where 43 students worked on rebuilding the engine and over hauled the bodywork.
Following on from her triumph at this year’s rally, the decision has been taken to retire Raquel. Any motor museums and Reliant Rialto enthusiasts are invited to get in touch and offer her a home.
The Pavestone Rally invites UK builder’s merchants to raise money for its three chosen charities: Rainy Day Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Variety. The goal is to drive a car, worth less than £500, across Europe in four days, while in full fancy dress.
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