IT might take more than 50 seconds to get from 0-60mph, but that isn’t stopping a team of Morris Minor enthusiasts from taking one very special vehicle on a journey from one end of the country to the other.

Next month the Morris Minor Owners Club will mark 40 years of coming together to celebrate the popular British motor – the very first to exceed 1 million cars off the production line in 1960. To mark the occasion they will be driving one of these Minors all the way from John O’Groats in the far-flung north-eastern reaches of Scotland all the way down to Land’s End in western Cornwall.

But instead of driving the standard specification 1963 Morris Minor 4 door saloon from start point to finish point, the car will trundle down over a period of 4 weeks taking in some significant points along the way. This will include visits to every MMOC branch in the UK – including the North Wilts branch in Swindon - as well as a number of additional locations that are significant to the history of the car or the development of the club since 1976.

Amongst these will be the site of the former Morris works at Cowley, where the car was built, the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and the home of the founder of Morris Motors, Nuffield Place.

The task of organising the marathon itself and ensuring the car completes its task, is the responsibility of Bruce Kelsey, a member of the club for over 30 years. He is looking forward to getting on the road.

“The MMOC has always relished a challenge and the charity marathon is probably one of the biggest and most exciting projects we have ever undertaken,” he said. “The marathon is a fantastic opportunity for all members of the MMOC to actively participate in driving the car to and from venues, organise fund raising events and help raise the profile of the club and what we do. It is also a brilliant opportunity to spread the word about the wonderful work that Marie Curie are doing every day across the country.”

Each branch will provide a driver and co-driver to take the car on to the next stage – as well as a driver to bring them back. Passing through Swindon on September 26, where it will be proudly displayed at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Village between 9am and noon, the Minor will arrive from Nuffield Place - Lord Nuffield (William Morris) being the founder of Morris Garages. From there it will travel on to Gloucester Quays, being driven by local drivers Ash Holmes and Steve Chater, who are longstanding Morris Minor owners.

The charitable classic enthusiast will be raising money for Marie Curie along the way. The adventure will begin on Friday, September 2, with the Minor passing through Swindon on September 26 before arriving at Land’s End on Saturday, October 1. To support their fundraising efforts and to follow their progress visit www.facebook.com/MMOC.Charity.Marathon.2016.