Guy Butcher, 63, and Eunice Kratky shipped a tiny 1930s Austin Seven from the UK to America to drive through America and Canada.
Bearing in mind how small the Austin Seven is they had it painted yellow and had LED turn signal bulbs put in so that the car was more visible to other drivers.
Having started at Baltimore and after a short stop in Edmonton they made their way in July of this year to Alaska prior to commencing moving southward down the West Coast with a view to reaching the southern tip of America. Incidentally, this year is the 90th anniversary of the classic Austin Seven car.
Gary, making reference to the size of the classic car, commented: “We’re so small that we’re like an ant in front of an elephant.”
Eunice observed that the tyres on large lorries are as high as the Austin Seven’s windshield but they have found on their journey that most drivers have been very considerate towards them.
Eunice said: “You feel very diminutive.”
They are expecting to travel about 25,000 miles when they eventually arrive at Tierra del Fuego that is at the very bottom of South America.
The Austin Seven achieves about 38mph and they manage to travel in the region of 200 miles per day. The small four-cylinder engine averages about 35 miles per gallon.
As well as enjoying touring America they are also raising money for charity with a target of £1 million for special needs children.
Obviously reliability was a priority when getting ready for the trip so a couple of additions were made – a back-up coil and they can fit a magneto if the electrical system packs in. Should the fuel pump decide to stop working the system can be pressurized by using an air pump to keep the fuel supply running. Gary said: “We have to be completely self-sufficient.”
Eunice added: “We worked with special needs children all our lives.”
Having recently retired they felt able to make the trip without interruption.
They prefer that donations are made via the website where more details about the trip are available – www.bespk.com
