Word reaches me that my old mucker Kelvin Jouhar, head of FX trading at HBOS, is about to take part in a car rally from London to Rimini with his daughter Vicki as co-driver. Now Kelvin has always been a bit of a petrol head, so I called him to ask which exotic motor he’d be rolling out for the arduous trip, which will see him drive over legendary alpine roads such as Grimsel, Furka and Gottardo passes.
His response surprised me: “I’m doing it in a 1983 Mini Metro, which we bought complete with a powerful 42bhp engine, a very leaky sunroof, and some decorative rust.” Kelvin explains that the rules of the Scally Rally (www.scallyrally.co.uk) stipulate that the car must cost less than £100.00. Quite how he expects the car to last the distance is beyond me – I reckon the new paint job he’s given it has doubled its value, but it won’t make any difference to its chances of getting to Italy. It’s all for charidee, of course.