Today, Jim Hilditch and Alan Yathindon - two very enthusiastic members of the North Ireland Italian Motor Club - will set out on a journey which will take the pair from Belfast to Morocco, and then all the way back again, at the wheel of a 1991 Fiat Panda 1000, a trip of around 4,500 miles!

The Fiat Panda 1000 S was recently bought - at a cost of just £150 (220 euros) - from a little old lady in the Ballymena district of Northern Ireland, and in its fourteen year life traversing the roads, the little Panda - which is a true Fiat icon - has covered just covered 58,000 miles (93,000 kilometers).

"The proposed route will take in Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Spain and Morocco," said the Northern Ireland Italian Motor Club's (NIIMC) secretary, Stuart Leathem last week. "The pair hope to possibly pass through Italy as well, although this is as yet undecided. On the way they will be visiting places like Casablanca, Essaouria, the Jimi Hendrix Hotel, and so on. The total projected distance will be around 4,500 miles."

"The expedition came about during our August club meeting," adds Stuart. The NI Italian Motor Club aims to welcome owners' and enthusiasts' of all types of Italian transport. "We currently have members that own a range of vehicles, including Italian cars, bikes and even a tractor," says Stuart. "Whether you own a Fiat Panda or a Ferrari Enzo, this is the club for you in Northern Ireland.