Round the world in 1957

Victorian

Victorian

Approved Vendor : Total Composites
Those are true explorers! Got a tour of this Landy a couple years ago. Very sweet ride. I think they sold it after the trip but discovered it about 10 years ago and restored it.
 
Red90

Red90

Adventurer
It was only discovered and restored a few years ago. The discovery happened on the Roverlander’s forum and you can read about the restoration there.
 
the deputy

the deputy

Well-known member
That was splendid. Loved the footage and back story, supplied in link. What an adventure!

Thank you, for sharing this great story.

Brian.
 
MLu

MLu

Adventurer
Ooh, interesting. The thread above mentions a 90 minute video and it's clear from the short clip that there is a lot more video material. Anyone know if there's more video from the expedition anywhere?
 
M

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
It's good to see actual 'Expedition' style travel and not the current, 'faux expeditions' that effortlessly glide over real estate in slick new rigs that has been already trod, over and over again. Terra incognita is no more. The 1957 L.R. had major drivetrain woes with a weak transmission, clutch, and axle shafts, plus a few electrical problems. The good news was that because of the extensive British Empire, Land Rover parts were to be had easier around the globe than any other product. The only thing that allowed the authors' 109 hybrid to reappear to them was the aluminum body. All other 'jeep' (small j) type vehicles of the era are rusted hulks, unless of course they were meticulously cared for all along. Thank God they took videos of their trip, otherwise the expedition essence would be lost to time. A similarly extensive Expedition with 4wd trucks pulling Airstream trailers and truck campers driving overland from Capetown to Cairo in the 1950's. I think it was the Wally Byam Caravan. There is a good video of this. Another was the film by National Geographic in the 1930's of a large French team driving their small half tracks around the world and disassembling them to hand carry the parts, right down to pistons and spark plugs across the high passes in the Himalayas. At least these too are not lost to time.
I had a crush on a 1967 L.R. 109 high window in 1968. It had the Perkins diesel and was the essence of expedition. Sadly I had an actual Overland rig, a 1949 Willys Jeep Overland Utility Wagon already and the L.R. was out of my price range.
jefe
Bahia San Quentin, June 1965:
 
Last edited:
Victory_Overland

Victory_Overland

Explorer
@Mundo4x4Casa different times and different restrictions! We can't hold the "modern times" overlanders responsible for things they rarely control. I think many of us would love to blaze new trails, however, developed nations are no longer kosher with that and many of the places these gents and others fortunate of the past were able to travel were much more permissible back then. I believe you are right, Terra incognito is no more!

Many of our nations and their off-roaders believe in "tread lightly" and preserving the trails blazed by the past as National and public land does not allow and for some cases I believe should not allow new trails to be blazed! Many of these trails were blazed by historical figures like these two gents so that we can still travel them today.

New "faux expeditions" in old school vehicles or new school vehicles fall under the same rules so I give props to anyone who is getting out there and doing what they can while preserving the land they are morally and legally obligated to do so!
 
merr1ca

merr1ca

Member
That's incredible! The blokes over at Roverlanders BC sound like a good bunch. I want to find this 90 min video now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
188,627
Messages
2,908,066
Members
230,800
Latest member
Mcoleman

Members online

Total: 859 (members: 35, guests: 824)
Top