The journey as proposed by Vince Leek in late 2007 gradually evolved to become a route from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego and return via the Chilean Andes and Patagonia. The three cars from the extravaganza known as “Peking to Paris by the Mad Motorists” and a fourth 1928 chummy, each crewed by two, were to be shipped to Argentina for the beginning of the journey in January 2009.

I first saw “Mr Rusty”, the car that is, not Mr Rusty himself, in April 2008 when Vince was installing the wiring of my newly rebuilt Cambridge Special.

In its pristine-unwashed-just-back-from-Ulan-Bator-state, “Mr Rusty” looked a picture of health and good fettle. He wore his history like badges of honour, each flank decorated with the names of the far flung places he had visited, Paris, Peking and err Peckam?

The summer got off to a good start for me when after only fourty years I got my own Seven KHX 535 back on the road in time for the Bristol A7 Club Annual Rally at Longleat, followed by the National at Beaulieu. Gareth Burnard of Frome, a talented restorer of car frames and many other skills and I, had finished the restoration begun 15 years ago by my son Tom, who had been in despair of ever seeing it done at all.

Vince Leek, our intrepid leader and inspiration had invited me to join the venture in late 2007 and I had plenty of time to review my enthusiastic acceptance. However nothing daunted I carried on regardless. During the twelve or more months of planning, various routes had been contemplated and discarded due to difficulties of timing, journey time or expense.

Finally in early summer, the general outline of the present journey was determined and real preparation began. Here it should be noted that without Vince and Chris, Rivers and Diana, none of this would be happening. Their immense investment of time and enthusiasm, have been the building blocks of the outcome. I personally want to acknowledge the help and support of, Amanda, Richard, Rex, Aaron and my family who have shouldered responsibilities in order to get me to the starting gate. Thank you all.

At the National I met-up with Chris and Vince and here you see us in a far flung corner of a field that is for ever Beaulieu, where Vince was trying to unload some of his extensive store of parts, prior to his moving from the workshop to more salubrious premises!

I collected “Mr Rusty” from Warminster in the late summer and took it home to get acquainted and make a few minor cosmetic alterations. These included roof lining, sound deadening the floor and wheel arches and draught sealing the doors and screen. I drove up to the start of the annual London to Brighton Veterans run, to be a steward in early November and in general put several hundred miles on the clock to get used to the handling characteristics. It is an immensely tractable car, with what feels like an unburstable engine and transmission. Creature comforts are noticeable by their absence but it has good seats, great electrics and reliability that instils great confidence. I never left home lacking confidence that we would return without incident. Here you see it sitting on my drive with my recent acquisition, a Series 2 Morris 8 1937, owned by one family for all that time, who were related to the owners of my house since 1930, too big a coincidence to allow it to pass.

In late November the cars went to Tilbury to be put aboard a Ro-Ro ferry for delivery to Buenos Aires, where they arrived about New Year, ready for our arrival. December passed in a flurry of emails and final preparations, alarms and panics over essential paperwork, one of the group who had to drop out and that myriad of detail that make up a venture such as this.

So from our various homes in Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Scotland and America we shall depart on the 4th January 2009 to join the cars and get on our way.

I have researched the country, found and noted the location of the Tango joints in Buenos Aires, learnt a few essential Spanish phrases, “Mi amigo pagara” and packed my bag. See you next from Argentina.