PDA

View Full Version : 1955 London to Singapore Overland Trip



101RRS
23rd March 2021, 02:03 PM
As most of you would know, in 1955 two 86" Landrover Station wagons did a monumental overland trip from London to Singapore. One vehicle represented Oxford University and was painted dark blue with rego number SNX 891. The other represented Cambridge University and was light blue with rego number SNX 761.

In 2019 the Oxford vehicle did the trip in reverse from Singapore to London.

Some years ago the Oxford vehicle was believed to be on Ascension Is in the South Atlantic but was actually found on nearby St Helena Is as a chook pen - it was swapped for a "Defender" and taken back to the UK and restored back to its overland condition - for some reason it is now in America and owned by some American (who deeply cares for the vehicle) but it should be back in the UK - maybe on display at Oxford University.

However in my research I have have not been able to find out what happened to the light blue Cambridge 86 - it seems to have disappeared - I guess destroyed.

So any one knows what happened to the second vehicle after the 1955 trip??

Thanks

Garry

Tins
23rd March 2021, 02:47 PM
Sad day for Land Rover history.......... (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/146552-sad-day-land-rover-history.html)

RANDLOVER
24th March 2021, 12:50 AM
Sad day for Land Rover history.......... (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/146552-sad-day-land-rover-history.html)

From the link above...

"Turns out that one was last seen as a crashed wreck in Iran in 1957 (Cambridge) and the other is a pile of parts on St Helena Island in the Atlantic (‘Oxford’). How they came to that end is interesting reading."

101RRS
24th March 2021, 02:21 PM
From the link above...

"Turns out that one was last seen as a crashed wreck in Iran in 1957 (Cambridge)

That is the "rumour" but other than that I can find nothing more credible.

Did it in fact go into the ravine? if so did it stay there? What was it doing in Iran? Supposedly wrecked in 1958 not 1957.
The act of finding and recovery of the Oxford vehicle on St Helena rather than on the rumoured Ascension Island some 500km away highlights that rumour may be different to the reality.

Cheers

Garry