ELVIS is dead - Viva Elvis.

The old banger, named after the legendary singer who some people believe is still alive, was bought on eBay for £220 to take part in a 2,000 mile charity rally from Marden to Portugal.

It managed to make it to the finish in Lisbon but died outside Le Mans, home to the famous 24-hour sports car race, on the way home.

The Honda Civic, decked out to look like a US cop car, was driven by Rob Head, 35, and work colleague Stuart Harcourt, 30, dressed as the Blues Brothers.

The two, who work for ADL Blue Print in Pattenden Lane, organised the event to raise money for various charities. The only stipulation was the cars had to be Japanese or Korean and cost less than £500 each.

Rob said: “It’s with huge regret and a tearful eye that we report the demise of the legend that was Elvis.

“I was driving along when a lorry overtook me in poor visibility with rain. He suddenly swerved out of the way of a barrier but I gave it a glancing blow. With 11 year old tyres and a wet road I aquaplaned.

“Elvis’ resting place is a garage in a little village called Ecommou, near Le Mans, which I guess is as fitting place as any for a piece of automotive excellence. Better that than a scrapyard in Maidstone. Rust in peace.”

Instead of driving direct to Portugal, the 30 teams were on the road for seven days, the route taking them to Paris, the south of France, Spain, southern Portugal and Lisbon for the finish.

Some of the cars were deliberately scrapped in Portugal as it cost less for the drivers to fly home rather than fill up with petrol for the return journey.

The main recipient of the rally was BEN, the automotive industry’s charity which made £10,000 from the rally. The Blues Brothers also raised £787 for the Kent Air Ambulance based near their offices.