MIKE Daniels admitted he must have been in Alice in Wonderland to even think about taking part in the Banger Rally Challenge, Salo or Bust, with his mate Marc Vine.

The intrepid 29-year-old duo from Newton Abbot, transformed Mike’s £300 1996 Volkswagen Golf into a Cheshire Cat, complete with tail, by covering it in purple and pink fur.

Delivery driver Mike became the Mad Hatter and refrigeration technician Marc, the White Rabbit, and they shared the driving for an epic journey through seven countries in five days, finishing in Salo, Italy.

‘I had never dressed up or taken part in anything like this before, but it was an incredible experience and we will be putting our names down to enter the event next year,’ said Mike.

The pair set off from St Austell on October 1 – the rally is organised by St Austell Round Table – their car being one of 160, and 400 people participating.

Crossing from England to France via the Roscoff ferry, their journey took them to Le Mans and Paris, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, across the Swiss Alps and on to Italy.

When they embarked they were given an envelope with a set of challenges in which they were awarded points for small rewards, and after each night’s campsite stay they were set new challenges on starting again.

On arrival in Salo they had travelled 1,205 miles.

People were so fascinated by the Cheshire Cat car and their outfits, that Mike and Marc kept running behind time because they were repeatedly asked to stop for photos.

‘At one point we went into a services on the way to Paris, got some fuel and went inside to get some food just as a coach-load of Chinese tourists arrived. We were then held up for half-an-hour because they all wanted photographs of us.

‘We went outside and when they saw the car we spent another 20 minutes there because they wanted photos of that as well,’ said Mike.

There were many memorable moments, including participants holding a Wacky Races on the Monza circuit, the scary driving in Paris and visiting the Eiffel Tower, driving across the Swiss Alps, and others too numerous to mention.

At the end some people sold their cars or scrapped them while Mike and Marc drove the 1,205 miles return journey.

The event raised more than £150,000 for St Austell Round Table’s chosen charities, while the two Newton Abbot men focussed on the Marie Curie Cancer Care bringing in more than £1,000.

You might still spot the Cheshire Cat car being driven around the area for the next couple of weeks before it finally moults its fur.