We love it when a plan comes together…
Central Car Auctions is delighted to be taking part in Bangers4Ben, an annual fundraising event for the automotive charity Ben.
What is Bangers4Ben?
Bangers4Ben is a one-of-a-kind fundraising event that starts with teams finding a ‘banger’ (a beat-up, old car that could do with a little love and attention) for under £750. They then need to fix it up and give it a bit of added personality, before taking it on an epic adventure.
For 2026, the Bangers4Ben teams will be driving a 1,500-mile round trip to the Pyrenees and back, with the theme, ‘Back to the 80s’ – so they’ll need to bring their A-game if they want to keep their dressed-up budget banger rolling for the entire trip!
The Banger4Ben route
Starting from Portsmouth, our team will cross over to Caen to begin their four-day journey, with their first stop being one of the most iconic racing tracks in the world: the Circuit de la Sathe, home of the 24 hour of Le Mans race.
From there, the route turns to Bordeaux before crossing into the Pyrenees via one of the most breathtaking roads in the world, the Col du Pourtalet. Enjoying sweeping bends and incredible vistas, the team will make their way into Spain for a unique night of rest at a restored 17th century monastery. After recovering, they will then head back into the Pyrenees for more mountain driving, before returning to Bordeaux for a final night, and then back to Caen for their return ferry, completing around 1,500 miles of driving.
Finally, once everyone is safe back at home, the banger will then be sold at auction, with all proceeds going directly to Ben as a final fundraising push.
Why is Central Car Auctions taking part?
Ben is a dedicated UK charity that provides health and wellbeing support for anyone who works, or has worked, in the automotive industry. We’re therefore delighted to give back to a good cause.
With a wide range of resources on financial stability, mental wellbeing, physical health and a network of agents on 24/7 call, their support is available to our customers, car dealers, mechanics, drivers and more – as well as their families.
The charity helps thousands of people across the UK, ensuring they get the very best support available, no matter the problems they might be facing.
What we hope to achieve
The Central Car Auctions team hopes to raise £5,000 for Ben and the vital work they do. However, on top of raising these funds, we also want to raise awareness of the charity and their brilliant services – among employees and customers alike. We want to make sure that anyone connected with the automotive industry can access the resources and support that Ben offers
How far along are the team?
We’re thrilled to say that our team have already found their ‘banger’ and are in the process of getting it ready for its Pyrenees adventure.
Not only that, but we’ve also settled on how to best celebrate the thrill and excitement of the 80s – though we just want to finish ‘crossing all the Ts’ before publicly announcing it.
We can promise that no planes will be involved with our design!
How can you help?
If you would like to help or find out more, you can donate to the Central Car Auctions Bangers4Ben team here.