Top Gear challenge for Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance

Paul Coggins, 44, Richard Robotham, 46, Chris Butchart, 46 and Henry Jervis 40, clocked up 2,160 miles in a hectic five-day dash across five European countries.

And, unlike Jeremy Clarkson and co, they didn’t get thrown out of any country.

The Tysoe four were taking part in the Screwball Rally, which followed a route through France, Switzerland, German, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Over 70 cars took part in the event which concluded on September 29, raising over £80,000 for charity. The foursome were inspired to embark on the drive by friends and family who owe their lives to WNAA.

Builder Henry Jervis’s brother Tom, 42, a farmer in Tysoe, was flown to Birmingham in the Air Ambulance after his tractor was hit by a lorry, leaving him trapped underneath his vehicle with a fractured pelvis. He said: “WNAA is something we rely on in a rural area like Tysoe. My brother is just one example of someone who owes his health to the service.

“Watching my young son play rugby at Shipston Rugby Club, I have witnessed a number of friends’ children who have benefitted personally from the swift response of the Air Ambulance.”

The rules of the Screwball Rally only permit £750 to be spent on a car. ‘We bought the two cars online and paid for all expenses, so every penny we raise is going to WNAA,’ said Richard Robotham, who is also a builder in Tysoe.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fundraising effort can do so by going to: www.justgiving.com/teamtysoescrewball2014