A group of intrepid fundraisers are all set for a 1,600-mile drive from Ipswich - in old £500 cars.

Steve Flory, managing director of Hudson Group in Needham Market, is organising the Undy 500, in aid of the Blossom Appeal, to build a breast care centre at Ipswich Hospital.

The team will set off on Saturday, October 9, and head for the North Coast 500 route in Scotland.

"It's going to be great fun trying to get all the cars through," he said.

"We have about 25 people taking part in 11 cars - some are from 1996 and 1997, and some are a bit newer."

East Anglian Daily Times: Fundraisers and supporters with one of the £500 cars which will take part in the Undy 500 challengeFundraisers and supporters with one of the £500 cars which will take part in the Undy 500 challenge (Image: Hudson Group)

Mr Flory added the current fuel shortages could make the challenge even more demanding.

He himself will be driving a Volvo 440 from 1996. He said old Volvos were especially popular, while other vehicles taking part include a Peugeot, Audi and Saab.

The epic fundraiser will start off with a drive from Ipswich to Edinburgh, followed by a course taking in locations including Inverness, Wick, Tongue and Ullapool.

The North Coast 500 route will end in Perth on October 14, and then on October 15 the cars will travel back to Ipswich.

Mr Flory said: "All expenses for the trip are paid for by the contestants and so every penny we raise for the Blossom Appeal will go straight to them.

"Where appropriate, any money raised from recycling the cars at the end of the tour will also go to the appeal."

The 62-year-old has previously organised two other Undy 500 car runs. One was in 2012, with cars travelling across Europe to Mount Olympus in Greece, the home of the Olympics, while the other, in 2013, followed a course around the Arctic Circle.

"We decided to do a run closer to home this time because of Covid, as we didn't want to get stuck abroad," he said.

The previous events raised around £15,000 to £20,000 for St Elizabeth Hospice and Suffolk Air Ambulance, and it's hoped to raise a similar amount this time.

"The response so far has been fantastic," Mr Flory said. Companies supporting the event include hard landscaping company Azpects, Schallenberg, Orwell Motorcyles and Subway.

To sponsor the teams, visit the Undy 500 JustGiving page.