A FATHER-AND-SON team from Pennant, near Llanon, have just returned after completing a unique 3,000-mile navigational rally across Europe which followed the route of the acclaimed 1969 film The Italian Job.

Despite never having previously driven in Europe, Huw Evans and his son Aled successfully took their 1971 Mini Cooper S all the way from Pennant to Imola in Italy before turning round and making the long journey home.

They reckon to have raised around £2,000 for Variety, the charity that supports disadvantaged children, during the two-week long event.

“Driving in Europe took a bit of getting used to, but the French and Italian motorways are so much better than ours,” Aled, 29, who works as a mechanic at his dad’s garage in Pennant, told the Cambrian News.

“The Italian Job has been one of my favourite films since I was small – I’ve watched it three times since we got back just to see how many of the locations we visited!”

The pair have owned their Mini Cooper for 10 years having spent around four restoring the vintage vehicle.

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