Driving a classic car to Europe may invoke an image of idyllic open-top motoring on sun-dripped roads but freelance motoring journalist Rob Marshall is planning a somewhat less glamorous drive for the automotive industry charity, BEN.

I was given a rusty Triumph Toledo several years ago and, while studying for my MA in Automotive Journalism, I managed to sell the restoration story to a classic car magazine. Although the Triumph cost me approximately £500 to restore, because I performed most of the work myself, the resulting profit paid my tuition fees. Now the car is finished, the journey will be a huge challenge for the Toledo because it will cover its average annual mileage in just four days.'

Rob will be navigated by his partner, Nicky, and will be joining other motoring journalists on the Guild Classic event, which will be held between the 4th-9th June 2009. Organised for its members, by the Guild of Motoring Writers, the route will take the couple into France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, before they return to the UK. The Guild Classic is supported by BMW, which owns the Triumph Cars trademark.

Every penny that the couple will raise from the trip shall go to BEN, which supports motor trade employees and their families, whose lives have been affected by the recent well-publicised cuts in the industry. Donations can be made online at: http://www.justgiving.com/rob-marshall. Cheques, made out to ‘BEN', can be posted to Judy Semadeni, BEN Supporter Relations, Lynwood, Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 0AJ.