Two Fen lads who drove from Chatteris to Tokyo in a 16-year-old Toyota Yaris have made the car manufacturer’s official highlight reel.

Cambs Times: Dan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2TokyoDan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2Tokyo (Image: Chatteris2Tokyo)

In 2018, Dan Handley and Dave Brooks embarked on a near 14,000-mile drive across 22 countries in just 59 days in aid of the BBC's Children in Need appeal.

The road trip was heavily documented in this newspaper and we even live-linked with the boys via Skype at our annual business awards ceremony.

On January 13 of this year, the Toyota Yaris celebrated its 21st birthday and to mark the occasion, Toyota revealed their top 21 moments of the Yaris' lifetime.

Toyota branded Dan and Dave's trip "one of the most remarkable customer stories from these 21 years" and placed them at number 19.

Cambs Times: Dan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2TokyoDan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2Tokyo (Image: Chatteris2Tokyo)

The Fensport Performance employees - who bought the car, named Larry, for just £1,000 - raised hundreds of pounds for charity during their trip.

Dan and Dave left the small Cambridgeshire town on August 12 2018 and started their route to the capital of Japan with a blue-light escort from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue.

Shortly after arriving in Tokyo, Dan and Dave said: "It's been tough, a lot tougher than we imagined, with a lot more driving every day than we originally planned, but what an experience it's been!

"We have visited some absolutely stunning places throughout Europe and Asia and have met some incredibly generous and heart-warming people in every country that we've passed through.

Cambs Times: Dan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2TokyoDan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2Tokyo (Image: Chatteris2Tokyo)

"It's been a real eye opener."

Dan added: "The media only report negativity and we're all made to believe that the world is a bad place. Well we can honestly say, from our experience, that is not the case at all!

"Every single person that we have met from Croatia to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan to Russia, have all been amazing and the hospitality has been 110 per cent!

"We've made some great contacts and some true friends for life, and if any of them was to visit the little island that we call home then we'll be sure to welcome them with open arms."

Cambs Times: Dan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2TokyoDan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2Tokyo (Image: Archant)

Talking of the car, the boys said: "Little Larry the Yaris has done incredibly well and has done us super proud! We really put him through the ultimate test and he absolutely smashed it!

"He's more than just a car to us, he's a legend!"

Cambs Times: Dan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2TokyoDan Handley and Dave Brooks drove their 16-year-old Toyota Yaris all the way from the Fens to Japan in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. Picture: Chatteris2Tokyo (Image: Chatteris2Tokyo)