Plymouth-Banjul Challenge
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The Plymouth-Banjul Challenge or unofficially the Ultimate Banger Challenge and previously known as the Plymouth-Dakar Challenge, is an annual car rally for charity. It was first run in 2003 to Dakar and since 2005 to Banjul. It very roughly follows the route of the more famous Dakar Rally, visiting many of the same countries. Normally you must go across Europe depending on where you live and get to Tarifa in Southern Spain. Then its through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauratania , Senegal and finally into the Gambia. The entrants must be driving a car worth approximately £100. Some of the cars that went in 2006 included a BMW 732i from 1983 which most people throught wouldn't get out of England (it did infact make it all the way!), a Fiat Uno which performed fantastically and even pushed the previously mentioned BMW up a Mountain, Some renault 19s, a Beetle and some very nice 4x4s which whilst they didn't really meet the challenge criteria where allowed on as they raised large sums for charity. Many cars cope very well until they have to go through the desert and then almost all suffer a great deal. Once the cars make it to Banjul in Gambia they are auctioned for, or donated to, charity. The 2004 event had one team 'The Idiots Abroad', tow a trailer with two motorbikes on it through the desert - the challenge has now been laid down for another team to get a trailer through the desert and in 2006 2 Ambulances made it across! There are even people who can't drive taking part with one half of a fiat uno team learning to drive in the desert where he managed to crash it to a Welsh Ambulance and two Canadian guys who bought a manual car in France and spent the next few weeks learning to drive it!
Since 2005, the rally also has a group of cars continuing on to Bamako, Mali.
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