Six-year-old Salem hitched a ride as his owners set off from Sheffield for a two-day luxury break in Leicestershire.
Angela and Nicholas Greenwood, both 31, knew nothing of Salem's perilous position as they set off in their Fiat Coupe sports car.
But when they pulled up in the car park at the health farm at Packington they were shocked to discover they had a stowaway.
Angela Greenwood said: "He is the luckiest black cat alive. In
November he was run over and survived and now this."
Although he survived the journey, Salem was trapped in the engine and his owners needed help to rescue him.
A local garage had to dismantle part of the engine before Salem could be freed.
The accident-prone cat has cost the couple hundreds of pounds in vets' bills in the past eight months.
"He is proving to be a very expensive pet, but he is worth it," Mrs Greenwood said.