Yaniv Cohen and Ali Singer are making aliyah in style by driving a 1948 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith saloon to their new homeland as part of the JNF’s London-Jerusalem car rally. But the pair’s epic journey was almost over before it had begun.

Mr Singer, a 28-year-old Londoner, was responsible for getting the vehicle to the starting line.

But unaccustomed to the fuelling requirements of a vintage Rolls-Royce, he ran out of petrol on the way to the start and only just made it to the ferry in Dover with the 25 other entrants.

Added Mr Cohen, 26, from Manchester: “The opportunity came up to take part in the rally and I was very much up for it. It’s a different way of going. I’m not well-travelled so this was a good chance to see places.”

Yaniv Cohen is behind the wheel as Ali Singer says his goodbyes

Although most participants are British, a small American contingent includes Israeli war hero Moshe Levy in a 1932 Duesenberg SJ Boattail Speedster. Mr Levy, 54, lost his right arm in the 1973 war while defending the Bar-Lev Line.The oldest car is a 1923 Buick Model 54 sports roadster.  

JNF hopes to raise around £250,000 from the 2,500-mile rally, which reached the halfway stage this week in Italy before crossing to Mount Olympus in Greece, from where the cars will be air-freighted to Tel Aviv. The Israeli route takes in Sderot and Eilat before the finish at the Knesset where drivers will be greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.