THE roads of leafy Monmouthshire were overrun with a convoy of souped-up old bangers that caught many wandering and admiring eyes this week as the Carbage Run rolled through the county.

A cyclist out for his morning sprint on the Raglan Road told the Chronicle, “I was huffing and puffing along as usual when I noticed a lot of sporty looking and customised cars weighed down with loaded roof racks and spare wheels thundering by. They all had EU number plates as well and kept blowing their horns at me.

“Now while I’m used to motorists honking at me for no reason, these guys were sort of doing it in a celebratory mode as if to say, ‘We’re here!’ But to be honest I had no idea who they were. Their cars looked well nice though. Much better than all these ugly SUVs you see everywhere these days that people can’t seem to drive properly.”

What the cyclist, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, witnessed, wasn’t a rally for Mad Max enthusiasts or a Whacky Race convention, but a European event called the Carbage Run, which this year chose England and Wales to host its annual rally.

Launched in 2008 in the Netherlands, the Carbage Run is not so much a race but a trial by fire, where participants drive through foreign countries and overcome obstacles and challenges along the way.

All cars must be worth less than 500 euros and at least 15 years old. They then have to splutter and split their way through 2,000 kilometres of roads in five days.

Carbage Run has grown massively in popularity over the years. From the first rally which featured only 64 cars, it now regularly attracts over 1000 vehicles.

According to the event’s organisers, “The Carbage Run is not about speed and time but about creativity, craziness, adventure and having fun! It is not about who arrives first but of course, there is a competitive element.”

The organisers also warn participants that, “You are not a real Carbage runner if your car does not break down.”

Like most things in a world that don’t march to the beat of just one drum, The Carbage Run isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

A member of the local Tesla Appreciation Society said, “These cars and their drivers are yesterday’s men. The future is electric and my car is worth considerably more and less harmful to the environment than these clapped-out dinosaurs. Which not only makes me a lot cooler but a better person in society’s eyes.”

Meanwhile, an agitated climate change protester complained, “If only we knew of the event beforehand we could have formed a human barricade across the road and ruined their event.”

When asked to comment, a Carbage Run participant declined to say anything but, “Beep! Beep! Coming through!”