Classic cars converge on Honiton on last leg of Grand Tour

More than 40 classic cars on a mission from Spain stopped off in Honiton this afternoon.

The Trafalgar Way's Cape To Cape Grand Tour stopped off at The Beehive between 1pm and 2.30pm today.

The Grand Tour started on Friday, May 10, and will end tomorrow (Sunday, May 19), the tour aims to raise a total of £870,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The Deputy Mayor of Honiton, Duncan Sheridan-Shaw, said: "This is the first of many events that the town council intends to support and promote over the next few months, years and further on."

"The work that has been put in by our town clerk, Mark Tredwin, is a shining example of what can be achieved when people's hearts are in line.

"The town management committee was very pleased to work with the Trafalgar Way company and the exceptional people at Macmillan Cancer Support and the Beehive Honiton to host such an amazing event."

"This is precisely the sort of thing that our Mayor, councillor Zarchinsky, enjoys and actively encourages and was pleased to see the classic cars, interact with the drivers and spend time reminiscing about his own motoring skills."

Earlier this month 40 cars from the best British, German, Italian and other great international manufacturers set off from Cape Trafalgar in the South West of Spain to experience some of the best driving roads along the Spain/Portugal border to Bilbao.

From there they travelled by ferry to Portsmouth where entrants had the opportunity to visit HMS Victory.

Since then they have followed the Trafalgar Way, the route used to transport news of the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 across England, all the way down to the South West with the eventual target being 'Cape Cornwall'.

The stop in Honiton today is one of the last the tour will make with the event coming to an end tomorrow (Sunday, May 19).

A Trafalgar Way spokesman said: "It is seriously competitive between participants and any penalties incurred are turned into fines! Entrants pay all their own costs and expenses for the event. Fundraising, donations and entrants' fines from penalties go to Macmillan Cancer Support."

Dennis Greenslade from Cornwall organised the first Cape to Cape in 2004.

His love of motor cars and motor sport, fascination with maps and experience of rallying led to organising what has now become one of the toughest classic car tours in Europe.

He decided to combine this challenge of driving older cars from one end of a country to another with raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Dennis has seen first-hand the wonderful care, support and comfort that Macmillan provides.

The first event, Cape Cornwall to Cape Wrath, raised £32,000 and to date more than £770,000 in charity fundraising has been achieved.

You can find out more about this year's event by following the team on Facebook, search for C2CClassicCarRally, and you can make a donation by clicking the red button below.

Pictures courtesy of Duncan Sheridan-Shaw.