Driving Across Europe for SSAFA: Mr Grainger's Incredible Charity Adventure

At Mercedes-Benz South West, we're fortunate to meet customers with truly inspiring stories. Recently, Mr Grainger and his daughter Sarah visited our Exeter showroom to share the diary from their participation in ‘A Driving Force’ for SSAFA 2026, a remarkable fundraising adventure that demonstrates how a passion for motoring can help make a real difference.

Organised by Torque Events in support of SSAFA, ‘A Driving Force’ is a unique biennial motoring challenge that combines unforgettable driving experiences with fundraising.

Driving for a greater cause 

The 2026 event saw participants embark on an unforgettable 11-day journey covering approximately 3,000 miles across 10 countries. Beginning in Dunkirk, the route took drivers through some of Europe's most spectacular roads and destinations, including Strasbourg, Innsbruck, Ljubljana, Split, Sarajevo, Graz, Berchtesgaden, Heidelberg and Brussels. 

The challenge started with a moving memorial service in Dunkirk. From there, participants experienced everything from dramatic Alpine mountain passes to the breathtaking scenery of the Adriatic coastline.

A passion for driving 

An experienced traveller, Mr Grainger has long enjoyed exploring Europe by car. While he has travelled extensively throughout the UK and mainland Europe in his Mercedes-Benz CLK, he chose to complete ‘A Driving Force' in his Mercedes-AMG SL 63, making it the perfect car for the adventure ahead.

Before setting off, preparation was key. His Mercedes-AMG SL 63 received new tyres, brake pads and a full service from our team at Mercedes-Benz of Exeter to ensure it was ready for the demanding journey ahead. 

Wanting to be prepared for every eventuality, Mr Grainger also took a selection of spare parts with him. Our Parts Department helped ensure he had everything he might need should an issue arise while travelling across multiple countries. 

Fortunately, those spare parts remained untouched. 

The trip itself was exceptionally well organised. Daily route briefings, detailed itineraries, walkie-talkies and the Vamoos travel app helped keep everyone on track throughout the adventure. 

Driving in convoy added a unique element to the experience, while Mr Grainger particularly enjoyed the vehicle's gearbox technology and responsiveness. 

"There was no turbo lag," he explained, "which was especially useful through the many long tunnels we encountered along the route." 

Perhaps most impressively, he completed the entire journey with the roof down. 

Sharing more than just cars 

One of Mr Grainger's standout memories came during an evening when participants displayed their vehicles for local residents. 

What began as an informal gathering quickly became something much more meaningful. Local people shared stories of Mercedes-Benz cars they or their families had once owned before difficult periods of conflict and economic hardship. 

Having previously visited Bosnia and Croatia before the conflicts of the 1990s, Mr Grainger found it fascinating to return and witness both the progress made and the visible reminders of the past, with some war damage still evident on buildings throughout the region. 

He was delighted to invite locals, including children, to sit in and explore his vehicle, while also distributing Mercedes-Benz baseball caps generously donated by members of the Mercedes-Benz Club. 

Sarah's contribution to the trip extended beyond the fundraising challenge itself. She organised the collection of shoeboxes filled with gifts, which were delivered to a children's orphanage in Bosnia. The donations were gratefully received and provided an additional opportunity to support local communities along the route. 

Highlights of the journey 

When discussing his favourite driving moments, Mr Grainger was particularly enthusiastic about the Croatian coastline. 

“The winding coastal roads and uninterrupted sea views reminded me of Spain in the 1950s, with endless bends, open roads and spectacular scenery around every corner.” 

While the itinerary was packed with activities and left little downtime, there is one destination Mr Grainger hopes to revisit in the future. 

As a lifelong motoring enthusiast, he would like to return to Stuttgart to visit the home of Mercedes-Benz and explore the area's renowned automotive museums at a more leisurely pace. 

A visit to our Exeter showroom 

Following the challenge, Mr Grainger and Sarah kindly visited our Exeter showroom to share their diary and talk the team through their experiences. 

Hearing first-hand accounts of the journey, the camaraderie between participants and the fundraising effort behind the event was genuinely inspiring. It quickly became clear that ‘A Driving Force’ is about much more than the cars involved. It is about bringing people together.

Their diary provided fascinating insights into the roads travelled, destinations visited and friendships formed throughout the challenge, bringing the adventure vividly to life for our team.

Supporting an amazing effort 

As a small gesture of appreciation for the dedication shown throughout the challenge and the funds raised for such an important cause, our Service Team is delighted to contribute towards Mr Grainger's next vehicle service. 

We're proud to support customers who go above and beyond for their communities, and we're pleased to recognise the effort involved in completing such an ambitious fundraising event. 

Congratulations and thank you 

We would like to congratulate Mr Grainger on completing this remarkable challenge and thank both him and Sarah for taking the time to visit us and share their story. 

Events such as ‘A Driving Force’ demonstrate the positive impact that can be achieved when people combine their passion with a commitment to helping others. We wish them every success with their future fundraising efforts and look forward to welcoming them back to Mercedes-Benz South West in the future.

Inspired to share your own story?

We love hearing about the memorable journeys, achievements and experiences of our customers. If you have a Mercedes-Benz story you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch with the team today and your story could feature on our website or social channels.