Overland completed

‘Oxford’, the 64-year old Landie used in the Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition undertaken from 1955-56 has successfully completed The Last Overland Expedition and was received in the United Kingdom by the New Defender.

After an epic 19 000 km road journey from Singapore to the United Kingdom, ‘Oxford’, the intrepid Series One Land Rover was received in Folkestone, the point of entry for The Last Overland team into the United Kingdom, by the latest model from Land Rover – the New Defender – in a specially designed one-off Oxford & Cambridge Expedition livery.

It was not the first time that the Solihull-built old-timer met the shiny, modern newcomer to the Land Rover family, though. No, ‘Oxford’ made its first acquaintance with the New Defender when treated to a private tour of the Nitra plant in Slovakia, where production of the latest Land Rover recently commenced, during its tour from the East.

Having crossed 23 countries from Singapore to London, ‘Oxford’, with registration number SNX 891, and the eight-member expedition team has successfully recreated one of the most historic automotive events of the last century. The Last Overland traversed the jungles of Malaysia and Myanmar, the frozen plateaus of the Himalayas and Tibet, and many other countries, including Nepal, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and across the Bosphorous into Europe. (They even briefly crossed the border from Tajikistan into Afghanistan.)

After a journey of nearly four months, the team – comprising members from the United Kingdom, France, United States of America, Belgium, Indonesia, and Singapore – was warmly welcomed in Folkestone at an arrival party hosted by Goodyear. This marked the penultimate

Having crossed 23 countries from Singapore to London, ‘Oxford’ and the expedition team has successfully recreated one of the most historic automotive events of the last century.

stage of the journey to bring home the original Series One Land Rover that also completed The First Overland.

Led by film-maker Alex Bescoby and expedition manager Marcus Allender, the team also included Singaporean Larry Leong and Brit Nat George, grandson of Tim Slessor (a member of The First Overland expedition). Slessor, now 88 and one of three surviving members of The First Overland, was in attendance to receive ‘Oxford’ back to the

United Kingdom.

An historic gathering of Land Rovers assembled from across Britain and Europe, as well as the new Defender, welcomed ‘Oxford’ back before it set off for its final destination; The Hilton Park Lane Hotel in London. The finish line was symbolic as it was just yards from the start line of the First Overland Expedition in 1955. The contingent was welcomed by the High Commissioner of Singapore, Her Excellency Ms Foo Chi Hsia.

Tough and challenging

After leaving Singapore on 25 August and traversing Southeast Asia, the expedition moved through Nepal,

China, and the ’Stans to the border with Turkey. Apart from veteran Singaporean overlander Larry, it was the first time the rest of the team visited in this part of the world.

Like any major expedition, particularly one crossing so many international borders in such an old car, The Last Overland was not without mishaps. One particularly memorable incident was a major mechanical misfortune when ‘Oxford’s’ back wheel fell off while driving at 70 km/h in Turkmenistan, severing the brake lines entirely.

No one was hurt, and after some major repair work, the plucky Land Rover was back on the road. ‘Oxford’ managed to complete the journey, helped by the expertise of the Indonesian team-doctor and team-mechanic Dr Silverius Purba, as well as with remote support of Adam Bennett, ‘Oxford’s’ restorer, who delivered replacement parts through post.

Challenges such as extreme altitude and temperatures, and various diets took its toll. The team had to overcome food poisoning episodes, frigid temperatures, and needing to rely on supplementary oxygen while coping with altitude sickness. But the expedition has not ended yet.

The expedition continues

In the pipeline is a TV documentary to tell the incredible story of The Last Overland, aimed for broadcast this year, a book written by Bescoby, and a visit to the United States, crowdfunded by United States Land Rover owners.

“It has been described by one motoring journalist as ‘the mother of all road trips’, and I agree. I cannot wait to share the inside story of an adventure I will never forget. It will be endearing and insightful to contrast The First Overland and The Last Overland, exploring how our world has evolved over 64 years,” says Bescoby.

“We want to be able to immortalise our experience, including the places we visited, many of them for the first time; and remember the friendships with one another and people from around the world.” Follow the continuing journey of ‘Oxford’ and The Last Overland at www.lastoverland.com or at thelastoverland on Facebook and Twitter.