CAR-MAD Gabrielle Funaro travelled 1,500 miles across four countries to collect a £70 banger from Huddersfield.

The Italian flew in from Milan to pick up a 15-year-old Fiat Tempra, then drove it home to Laveno Mombello, about 40 miles north of Milan.

Cowlersley friends Dean Winter and Lee Taylor had paid £70 for the car – which had been destined for scrap – before driving it across Europe for a charity event last year.

Unbeknown to Mr Funaro, the pair passed within 10 miles of his home during the Scally Rally in September.

But he only got in touch when he saw the car advertised on auction website eBay.

Dean, 45, of Western Road, said: “We had planned to give the money we got from selling it to charity, but we didn’t get a high enough bid.

“I was going to put it into storage, but he emailed us and asked if he could buy it.

“He was prepared to pay what we were asking, but I told him if he was prepared to come to England and drive it back, he could have it for nothing.”

Dean and Lee had spent money making the car roadworthy before driving it from Calais in France to Rimini in northern Italy.

They raised more than £6,000 for the NSPCC from sponsorship. Dean added: “I worked out that we must have driven within about 10 miles of Gabrielle’s house.

“Ironically, he could have collected it from us at the finish. It would have been a lot easier than flying over here to get it.

“I’m just happy it’s going to someone who will appreciate it.”

Fiat discontinued the manufacture of Tempuras in Europe in 1996 and right-hand drive versions are rare.

Gabrielle runs a Facebook group dedicated to the car and was so excited about his mission to Britain that he set up a dedicated page on the website to chart his journey.

He wrote: “The challenge we’re trying to organise has the purpose of giving a wider view of the extraordinary qualities of this vehicle by driving through England.

“We are about to make this challenge come true – drive a very rare, right-handed Fiat Tempra from northern England back to Italy, 1,000 miles across the country, across the English Channel and finally towards her native land.”

Dean and Lee thanked everyone who supported their Scally Rally fundraising efforts.