After crossing France, Spain, Morocco, the Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and finally the Gambia, Group One of this year's Plymouth-Dakar rally made it safe and sound to Banjul late last week.

Team 145's plucky Citroen van, piloted by Reg hack John Oates and Alexei Boltho, sold for 45,000 dalasis - just less than £900 - a decent profit margin on the £20 purchase price. Plumber's mastic kept the drive shaft together through the three day desert crossing and over Gambia's extremely rutted roads. We covered 7,172 kilometres with just one puncture. We also used two litres of oil. We had no other mechanical problems except a window popping off its runners when we crossed a river a little too quickly in Senegal.

Man in £20 van makes it to Gambia | The Register