AUSTIN SEVEN CONVOY PLANS DRIVE TO JAPAN

8000-mile trip outlined in honour of significant Seven-related anniversaries

‘The whole project is to showcase our mighty Austin Seven to the wider world’ CHRIS BLAKEY

Acontinent-crushing trip will take a group of Austin Sevens 8000 miles in order to celebrate a set of significant anniversaries in 2019.

The epic adventure, which runs from Twickenham in the UK to Japan, will the see cars arriving at their destination in time for the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup on 20 September 2019.

Event spokesman, Austin Seven owner and rugby fan, Chris Blakey, says: ‘The whole project is to showcase our mighty Austin Seven to the wider world and encourage younger drivers and engineers to join the family.

‘ We are very fortunate to have a documentary film-maker and a published writer involved with the project to record and promote the whole project and presently have six cars interested. We are currently undertaking a sponsorship campaign and developing a programme of events to visit in 2018 and 2019.’

The Rugby World Cup 2019 Trans Siberian Rally will have its first meeting on 7 January, 2018 at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, which is supporting the event.

Cars will travel from the UK in July and – hopefully – arrive for the opening ceremony in Japan, via Finland, Russia and most of Asia. After the event, the cars will then be transported back to the UK via shipping containers.

Chris adds: ‘This really will be the journey of a lifetime, travelling from the home of British rugby to the event in Japan.’

The run commemorates several 2019 anniversaries, not least of which 80 years since the end of Austin Seven production. The longdistance events also marks the 80th anniversary of the 750 Motor Club and the 60th birthday of the Austin Se7en Mini.