Adventurous friends embark on a three-wheeled journey from Devon to Cape Town
Oliver and Seth — two adventurers driving 10,000 miles from England to South Africa in a 2001 Reliant Robin named Sheila the Three-Wheeler.
Image: Oliver Jenks (Hold My Gear)/ Facebook
Two adventurous friends are attempting to make motoring history and raise money for a good cause by driving from Devon, England, to Cape Town in one of the most unlikely vehicles imaginable: a three-wheeled Reliant Robin.
For Oliver Jenks, 34, from Newton Abbot, and his Canadian travel companion, Seth Scott, 31, the 10,000-mile (16,000 km) journey is equal parts daring, charity, and sheer madness. Their quirky blue vehicle, affectionately named Sheila the Three-Wheeler, has already drawn smiles, stares, and a fair bit of confusion as they rumble through towns on their way to South Africa.
Speaking to the Cape Argus from Morocco, Scott admitted the journey has already lived up to its unpredictable promise.
“It hasn’t been the smoothest start,” he laughed. “We need to get to the consulate to sort out some visa issues. But we went into this adventure knowing it was likely to get quite chaotic.”
The pair’s journey began earlier this year with a mission to become the first people ever to travel from Devon to Cape Town in a three-wheeled car and, in doing so, set a Guinness World Record. Along the way, they hope to raise funds for School in a Bag, a UK-based charity that provides educational supplies to underprivileged children around the world.
The idea for the challenge was born years ago, when Scott and Jenks met during the Mongol Rally a 16,000 km drive from Europe to Mongolia that attracts some of the world’s most adventurous motorists.
“I saw someone doing it in a Reliant Robin, which really stuck with me,” Scott recalled. “After I finished university, I wanted to drive from London to Cape Town, just to see if it could be done. People said I was crazy, but when I messaged Oli, he was all in.”
The duo spent eight months preparing for the journey sourcing parts, modifying Sheila, and navigating a mountain of paperwork.
“Researching visa regulations was a nightmare,” Scott said. “I don’t think they’ve ever seen a Reliant Robin in Morocco. The insurance agency took an hour just to figure out how to classify it.”
Sheila, one of the last Reliant Robins to roll off the production line in 2001, had around 60,000 km on the clock before setting out.
“She’s a rare one,” Jenks said proudly. “You don’t see many in the UK anymore. The odometer only has five digits, so we’re not even sure how many times she’s gone around.”
The team is plotting a mostly coastal route through Africa, though much of it will be determined along the way.
“We’re trying to take the most direct and safest route possible,” Jenks explained. “But with visa rules and governments changing all the time, we have to stay flexible.”
Their immediate goal is to reach Mauritania within days, then continue south through Senegal — inching closer to their dream of rolling into Cape Town on three wheels.