A 1,300 mile trek across Europe no problem for a £300 14-year-old London taxi

A £300 14-year-old taxi completed the 1,300 mile journey across Europe as part of the Screwball Rally challenge. Five colleagues from Govia Thameslink Railway and Siemens drove the retired London cab through England, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany and Switzerland over five days.

Neil Plummer and Simon Hurford of Eastbourne, Allan Morton of Shoreham, Keir Stainton of Bognor Regis, and Alex Doughty of Tunbridge Wells took part in the charity challenge starting on 18 September. Rules of the competition stated that participants can spend no more than £750 on a ‘banger,’ but the five colleagues did one better by bagging their old TX2 Hackney Carriage for just £300. The old cab, emblazoned with a Heineken advert, had a 2.6 litre Ford engine and 176,000 miles on the clock. Fleet Maintenance Control Manager Neil Plummer said: “We survived and all arrived back home safely after a successful trip round parts of Europe for our charity drive. “We had no issues other than a water leak on the last day, and on our way home, which was rectified quickly by the genius that is Alex. “A great time was had by all and the spirit of the Screwball Rally was something to remember. “Over 80 cars attended and not all made it to the last day. “The camps en route were pretty decent and the sights seen along the way were simply amazing, especially the Swiss Alps which were breathtakingly stunning. “All in all from start to finish, we travelled 1,800 miles in a cab that cost £300, so a pretty decent attempt I think!” 

Image credit: Govia Thameslink Railway