It’s sat untouched for two years, bar a day trip to Silverstone, but now it’s back. The General Lee(xus) has been revived and is ready to take on the challenge of Staples2Naples 2012.
Think of Gumball, think of Cannonball Run. Now put those thoughts aside, as Staples2Naples is the pan-European rally for wage slaves. Limited to spending just £250 on a car, entrants have to nurse their steed from the cosmopolitan extravagance of Calais to the cultural hub that is Naples, via a tortuous route that takes in no less than eight Swiss mountain passes.
The General did a similar journey in 2010, its gleaming paintwork and detailed theming demonstrating the level of care that had gone into preparing it for the challenge. This year it barely scraped through an MOT and we’ve kicked the tyres a couple of times. The General is tired, and looks it.
That won’t stop us attempting to drag it 3,500 miles around Europe though, visiting such places as St Moritz, Sorrento, Monaco, Paris and many more.
Let’s just hope it makes it, as there’s no breakdown cover…
You can follow where we are by checking the live map right here and by following our Twitter feed at twitter.com/FrontSeatPhil.