The Gumball 3000 rally was called off last night after two British drivers in a Porsche were involved in a high-speed accident in which a man died and his wife was injured.

Organisers of the 3,000-mile tour, which began in 1999, took the decision after Nick Morley, the brother of a wealthy property developer, and Matthew McConville were in a collision with a Volkswagen Golf in the Republic of Macedonia. The two men were arrested on the border with Albania.

They were part of a convoy of 120 cars driven by pop stars, models and businessmen who each paid £28,000 to drive from London to Athens and back, via Dubrovnik and Germany, in a week.

The rally, which was inspired by “Cannonball” Baker’s coast-to-coast motorcycle race across the United States in about 54 hours in 1933, will not travel any farther this year.

Maximillion Cooper, the organiser, told The Times that he felt the rally should be stopped as a mark of respect to the man who died. He said: “We are very saddened by what has happened and I feel that it would be wrong to continue. On behalf of everyone at Gumball I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to [the man's] family. We are doing everything we can for them.”

Ivo Kotevski, a Macedonian police spokesman, told Associated Press: “Both Britons are testifying before an investigative magistrate in the town of Struga, where a decision will be made whether to hold them in custody or not.”

Vladimir Cepuljoski, 67, died of injuries while being transported to a hospital in Skopje after the accident on Wednesday night. His wife, Margarita, remains in a critical condition.

The police spokesman added: “Two British citizens left the scene of the accident. Shortly afterwards, border authorities found them in another [vehicle] . . . at the Qafasan border crossing with Albania.”

They were arrested on charges of endangering traffic and abandoning an accident victim. If convicted, the charges may lead to up to a year in prison.

A spokesman for the rally said: “The Golf pulled out from a stop sign and Mr Morley and McConville tried to swerve around it but clipped the side of the car.”

Mr Cooper said that the rally was not a race but a “cultural international tour”. Turkey had refused to accept the 240 participants on safety grounds.

Nick Morley, 29, lives in Altrincham with his older brother, Oliver, the managing director of a large property development company. Matt McConville, his co-driver, is the company’s property director.

Celebrities who have taken part in the rally include the model Caprice Bourret, Orlando Bloom, the star of The Lord of the Rings, and Jay Kay, the lead singer with Jamiroquai.