Signed Solberg print up for auction for charity.

A unique signed print of Petter Solberg and co-driver, Phil Mills, the 2003 World Rally champions, will go 'under the hammer' soon, with all the proceeds being donated to the County Air Ambulance, the entirely publicly funded rapid paramedic response service.

The auction is courtesy of the Cannock and District Car Club, and will be the chance for someone to pick up a very rare piece of rally memorabilia - namely a framed print of a painting by artist David Burke, measuring 100cm x 75cm, it is number three of 25 and is signed by Solberg himself.

It commemorates Solberg and Mills' first World Rally Championship win, on the 2002 Network Q Rally of Great Britain and shows them in full flight down a wet, rock strewn, rally stage in the Subaru Impreza WRC, set against the backdrop of the rolling Welsh Mountains. Man and machine in perfect harmony, battling against the elements, and the clock.

This print was gifted to Cannock and District Car Club at the Wales RallyGB 2003. The club would like to thank Oshaug Metal for their generosity. Oshaug are a Norweigan company that specialises in the manufacture of components, made from Nickel Aluminium Bronze, for use in severe marine conditions. Their gift is particularly appropriate given that Solberg hails from Norway.

"As the print is extremely rare it has already attracted a great deal of interest," said James Graham, publicity secretary of Cannock and District Car Club, "and we expect to raise a lot of money for the County Air Ambulance.

"We have supported the charity for over two years now and to date have raised in excess of ?2,000. We began supporting the County Air Ambulance as we recognise their ability to evacuate and treat casualties in remote areas. Rallies often take place over harsh terrain, such as the forests of Wales, and given the nature of our sport we sometimes rely on their helicopters to airlift competitors if they are injured in accidents."

"We are delighted that Cannock and District Car Club have offered to donate the proceeds of the auction to the County Air Ambulance and we are sure that whoever wins the print at auction will treasure this piece of memorabilia," added Paul Weir, fundraising development manager at the County Air Ambulance. "It costs ?2.4 million per year to keep the service going, for which we rely entirely on the general public giving voluntary donations, so we are very grateful when local organisations offer to support us."

For further information about the auction please log on to Cannock and District Car Club's website at www.cdcc.org.uk.