A vintage Austin Seven is set to be the star lot in a charity auction to raise funds for St.. Jerome's Church in Llangwm.

But this is a vintage car with a significant pedigree. The 1937 Mark 2 Ruby Saloon, known by its current owner as Brigadier General Sir Herbert Orsten, DSO and Public Bar. was driven round the world in the early 1970s by its then owner, Roger Shea.

"It'll be a wrench to part with him," said author Pam Hunt, who also owns Miss Daisy. "But as I get older and arthritis sets in, I find that I cannot look after Sir Herbert as well as I should, so reluctantly I have decided to part with him. Miss Daisy couldn't be more delighted though."

The car comes with all the paperwork involved in the trip, newspaper cuttings, carnets, visas, 250 photographs and a diary kept by Roger Shea as he made his 30,000-mile round the world trip. His diaries chart what appears to be a very ordinary journey, befriending Mullahs in Iran, a gentle drive through Afghanistan, something not easy to achieve today.

But in 1971, he had to cross the Front Line in the Indo Pakistan war, something that UK newspapers picked up and reported on when Roger hadn't been heard from for over two weeks.

Of the 300,000 Austin Sevens built between 1922 and 1939, only nine have completed this journey.

"It's odd," said Pam. "Somehow the Seven seems to tempt its owner to embark on long journeys in spite of the fact that that it can easily break down. Since my retirement, Miss Daisy and I have completed three trips round northern France, one round Ireland, one round northern Spain, the John O'Groats to Land's End run and only last year we completed a fund-raising drive round the coast roads of Wales. Sir Herbert took part in that one and one of the French trips as well. He's a good, solid and reliable little car."

The charity auction will take place at Llangwm Village Hall during the evening of Saturday, May 2. There's a £2 admission charge, but in addition to the historic car, there will be another 150 lots to bid for.