A three-wheeled British car built for short trips has made it from London to Cape Town after more than 90 days on the road.
Ollie Jenks, from the UK, and Seth Scott, from Canada, completed the trip in a Reliant Robin called Sheila, travelling 14,000 miles across 22 countries in what their Instagram account, Hold My Gear, described as “14,000 miles, 3 wheels, 0 common sense”.
The Reliant Robin is known for its single front wheel and unusual design. Jenks told the South China Morning Post: “No power steering, no air con, and it doesn’t do well up hills or down them. It is the most unsuitable car for probably any journey.”
Jenks and Scott bought Sheila, a silver Reliant Robin that was one of the last ever built. Its previous owner told them the car made him nervous driving more than 20 miles in one trip.
The pair faced repeated mechanical failures during the drive across Africa. In Ghana, the car’s transmission and gear box broke, forcing them to wait five days while Reliant Robin enthusiasts in the UK found replacement parts and shipped them over. That help was needed again later after the engine exploded.
They also dealt with ongoing failures involving tyres, springs, shocks and gauges, along with other parts affecting the car’s comfort and appearance.
The trip also took them through areas affected by unrest and military activity. In Benin, they were driving through the country when a military coup took place. In Cameroon, they were given a military escort alongside local buses, but the buses eventually left them behind after the car kept breaking down.
The pair documented the trip in daily Instagram videos. On day 53, they showed how they handled bribe requests from rural Nigerian police officers by handing over gas station confectionery. On day 89, in Namibia, they rigged the windscreen washer pump to spray water directly onto the radiator after it failed.
Their final stop was a high-end car showroom in South Africa, where Sheila arrived with battered bodywork and became the centre of attention.
The car is now set to go to the London Transport Museum, where it will be recognised for the two world records achieved during the trip.
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