‘The Last Overland Expedition’ left Singapore on Sunday August 25th aiming to arrive in London, a distance of around 16,000 kilometres, in around 100 days. This is one of the 20th century’s most iconic and challenging road journeys.
About 60 years ago, Tim Slessor helped lead the groundbreaking London-to-Singapore expedition in two Land Rovers. This time he will share The Last Overland journey with his young and adventurous grandson, driving the original 1955 Series One Land Rover (‘Oxford’).
After driving north from Malaysia, passing through Hat Yai in Songkhla province, Surat Thani, and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan, the expedition is scheduled to make a brief stop in Bangkok from September 1st to 3rd
That suggest that the convoy can be expected to be seen in our region sometime around the last day or two in August, however with a 60 year Land Drover and an 87 year old leader, that’s far from certain. Tim Slessor took ill the morning of the flag-off but is expected to join the team on the road shortly.
The expedition will drive eight to 10 hours a day through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Himalayas, Nepal, China, Central Asia and the Middle East, before crossing into Europe via Turkey.
The Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition – The First Overland – made history in 1955 by being the first to drive from London to Singapore. That young team inspired generations of adventurers through their extraordinary endeavour, showing many remote corners of the world on film for the first time.
One of the original team, Tim Slessor, will join grandson Alex Bescoby and an experienced team in remaking history for a new generation of adventurers. This time, the team will forge the path through some of the densest jungles, highest mountains and most arid deserts on the planet, returning the car from Singapore to London.
Unlike the 1955 expedition, the team will avoid driving through Iraq, Syria, and parts of Pakistan. It will also drive through China, which was not possible back then.
The 1955 ‘Oxford’ Land Rover was given the perfect send off by being escorted through the streets of Singapore all the way to the country’s border with Malaysia by a parade of other Land Rovers driven by local enthusiasts, including members of the group, Land Rover Owners Singapore.
