A group of Oxfordshire travel agents are off on an adventure in the poor man‘s “alternative” to the famous Paris to Dakar rally.

They started out today from Witney and, as seasoned globetrotters with plenty of safari experience themselves, should find the trip like a stroll in the desert.

Except that they are travelling in three old bangers with minimal knowledge of motor mechanics. And some of them are self-confessed liabilities behind the wheel.

They are calling themselves the “Disaudley Seven” as six of them work for Audley Travel, at New Mill, on the edge of Witney. The seventh member is one of their sisters, who says she just wants “to postpone real life”.

They are the trailblazers in this year’s Plymouth to Dakar rally — setting off well before other teams — which has a set of rough rules. Vehicles must cost about £100 and no more than £15 can be spent doing them up.

Their three vehicles are a 1981 Volvo 240 DL estate, a 1989 Volkswagen Polo and a 1984 Bedford Dunlop Aviation Ambulance. All will be sold at the journey’s end, Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, to add to charity fundraising.

The group aim to raise £5,000 for Sobell House hospice in Oxford, and the Wonder Years (WYCE) and Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust, both in the Gambia.

Mr Down, at 34, is the oldest of the seven. He said: “We bought all three vehicles off eBay. They have all been serviced and MoT-ed to get them on the road.

"All of us have the travel experience, but we are a little lacking on vehicle maintenance. It’s pretty tarmac-ed till you get to Mauritania, then it gets tough. A four-tonne ambulance stuck in the sand could cause a problem.”

The Foreign Office is also advising against non-essential visits to Mauritania, because of a recent coup.

Mr Down added: “We’ll ride that one. It’s a case of flying the flag. We’re going ahead of the official start of the rally, because it’s the only time we could all get off work in a slack period, so we’re kind of putting down a marker for everyone else. Wish us luck.”

The Disaudley Seven aim to be back at their desks in three weeks’ time, after flying home from the Gambia.

In terms of daring travel, they concede their boss, 37-year-old Craig Burkinshaw, is one up on them – he has a place booked on Virgin Galactic’s first flight into space in 2010, costing £100,000 for 150 minutes.

But, says Mr Down, their banger dash is cheaper and lasts longer.