The only surviving Land Rover Series – Station Wagon “86 that finished the renowned London-Singapore endeavour in 1956 is to present on show at the up coming Land Rover Legends Show.
Two groups of students, from Oxford and Cambridge, partook in the tiresome cross-continent Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition, with the outing gathering monstrous measures of attention both at nationally and globally.
One of the two Land Rovers – ‘Cambridge’ – was lost on a later endeavour to the Middle East, yet ‘Oxford’ survived and in fact, as these photos indicate, was out on the town in the UK’s current snow.
The 1955-56 undertaking pulled in an enormous group of onlookers because of three BBC films created by Sir David Attenborough.
The adventure was consequently fossilised in the exceedingly acclaimed (and still available for purchase) 1957 book ‘First Overland’ by undertaking member Tim Slessor, which just served to expand the attention being paid to the two vehicles.
Other than venturing across the English Channel, the Bosphorus, and the rivers inbetween, the two groups eventually made the expedition to Singapore completely over land – the first occasion this had ever been achieved.
The six graduates at long last finished the journey in March 1956, following the half year and six days they’d been on the trip; altogether, they’d voyaged 18,000 miles.
After a time back in the UK, ‘Oxford’ set out on another campaign, this opportunity the aim was Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. What’s more, is this is where it stayed, with a support specialist utilizing the vehicle for a fair few years and later using it for parts for his 88″.
When he resigned to another South Atlantic island, he took ‘Oxford’ with him, and there it may have stayed notwithstanding British aficionado Adam Bennett.
Together with columnist Peter Galilee, Bennett persuaded the islander to return ‘Oxford’ – and the 88″ – to the UK, where he then left of on a full restoration venture.
Presently back in mint condition, though with a couple of character building scars, it’ll be appearing at Land Rover Legends, at Bicester Heritage, on 26-27 may
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