Vehicles
The Camel Trophy originated in 1980 with three Jeep-equipped German teams exploring the Amazon. After that first event, the organisers turned to Land Rover and over the course of the next twenty years, all of the Land Rover vehicle range were used. Range Rover, Series III, Defender, Discovery and Freelander vehicles all appeared in the distinctive "sandglow" colour scheme.
The vehicles were heavily modified by Land Rover Special Vehicles with a range of expedition, recovery and safety equipment, including:
- Safety Devices roll cages
- Under body protection and steering guards
- Modified electrical systems
- Winches
- Dixon Bate tow hitches and recovery points
- Mantec snorkels
- Transmission breathers
- Michelin XCL or BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tyres
- Upgraded suspension and transmission components
- Auxiliary fuel tanks
- Webasto fuel burning heaters
- Brownchurch / Safety Devices roof racks
- Hella driving, spot, fog, convoy and work lamps
- Brownchurch Bull bars and bush wires
- Flag poles
- Event plaques, decals and sponsor logos (including Camel Trophy Adventure Wear/Bags/Boots/Watches, Lee Cougan, Perception, Sony, Scott USA, Safety Devices, Land Rover, Fjällräven, Warn, Malaysia Airlines, Superwinch, Shell, Avon)
- Expedition tools, Jerry cans, Pelican cases, Zarges boxes, high lift or New Concept air jacks, sand ladders, axes, ropes, drawbars, spades
- Garmin, Terratrip and other navigation and communication equipment
Generally speaking, except for support and specialist vehicles, the Land Rovers were only used for one event. Some competitors purchased their vehicles and many remained in the host country. Consequently, those vehicles that returned to the UK were highly sought after as they were low mileage - but they were "Camel Trophy miles". They were stripped of most of their equipment by Land Rover before they were released and restoring the vehicles to their original condition is expensive and time-consuming.
Read more about this topic: Camel Trophy
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)