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Totnes car dealers Sam Watts and Michelle McHale have successfully completed the Motor Trader Mille, a 1,000-mile European road trip and racetrack challenge, in a 30-year-old hearse.
The couple, who run The Family Car Guy dealership, chose the unusual vehicle as their entry in the rally, which saw 18 teams of motor traders buy cars worth under £1,000 and drive them from the UK to Belgium, Germany, and back, with the highlight being a lap of the world-famous Nürburgring.
The journey didn’t get off to the smoothest start when Michelle accidentally set Google Maps to avoid motorways, sending the hearse on a scenic detour through the French countryside. But after catching up with the other teams at Spa racetrack, the pair made up for lost time — even managing to squeeze eight car dealers into the back of the hearse for a trip to dinner.
At the Nürburgring, the hearse was pushed to its limits in wet conditions, with Sam relishing the high-speed drifting while Michelle clung on.
“It was the most exhilarating experience of my life,” said Sam.
Michelle admitted: “I spent most of the lap saying I didn’t want to die — my hands were still shaking hours later!”
After the track, the hearse carried them on to Cologne, where they stayed at the Motorworld museum hotel. The next day, the couple drove back to the UK, delivering the hearse to G3 Auctions in Bedford to be sold for charity.
Their chosen cause is the Totnes Food Bank (Stepping Stones Food & Wellbeing CIC), which provides food, essentials, and support to hundreds of local households in need.
Alongside the auction proceeds, Sam and Michelle’s JustGiving page has already raised nearly £1,000 for the food bank.
“We wanted to do something memorable to raise awareness and funds for a cause that matters so much locally,” said Sam. “The hearse may not have been the obvious choice, but it got us there and back — and we’re proud to have done it for Totnes Food Bank.”
Donations can still be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/totnesfoodbank?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL
Want to follow their journey online on Sam's YouTube channel Watts On Court?
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