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Dubai: The Last Overland, a team reversing the famous 1955 Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition continues its journey from Singapore to London with a visit to Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia.
There, the team were met by the latest Land Rover, the New Defender, which came face-to-face with its early ancestor “Oxford” a Series I Land Rover. To welcome the team at Nitra were Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, alongside Jaguar Land Rover’s Executive Director for Manufacturing, Grant McPherson.
The team were given the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities at Nitra, where they saw New Defenders rolling off the production line. Alex Bescoby, expedition lead commented, “We had always hoped to visit Nitra as part of our voyage and to explore the manufacturing heart of the New Defender. We received a fantastic welcome from the Jaguar Land Rover team at Nitra – marking a special start to our homeward leg to London”.
Land Rover will continue to support The Last Overland on their journey through Western Europe, with the team travelling through Austria, Germany, France and Belgium before their arrival into the United Kingdom on 14 December.
A gathering of Land Rover owners will assemble from across the UK and Europe to welcome The Last Overland team at Folkestone, UK. After, the team will be joined by a specially commissioned Oxford & Cambridge liveried New Defender on its final journey to the finish line at The Hilton Park Lane in London - yards from the finish line of the First Overland Expedition in 1956.
Alex recounts, “This journey has definitely been an action packed one, filled with many ups and downs, and I can’t believe how quickly the eighteen months that went into planning this journey has brought us here, all in one piece so far! We’ve managed to drive this incredible 64-year-old car once more, to so many remote and fascinating parts of the world, through tropical monsoons, -20 degree and at more than 5000m above sea level. Oxford has taken it all in stride. From Nagaland to Tibet, from Turkmenistan to Serbia, the welcome we’ve received has been unbelievable.”
The Last Overland expedition a test of strength and grit
Like any major expedition, especially one crossing so many international borders in such an old car, The Last Overland was not one without problems. One particularly memorable incident was a major mechanical mishap where Oxford’s back wheel fell off while Alex & Nat were driving at 70kmph in Turkmenistan, severing their brakes entirely.
The humans on the journey were also put to the test. The team of eight from the UK, France, USA, Belgium, Indonesia and Singapore were presented with a different set of challenges, including when altitudes, temperatures and various diets took a toll on their bodies. These involved the occasional food poisoning episodes, frigid temperatures and even needing to rely on supplementary oxygen while coping with altitude sickness at certain points of the journey.
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About The Last Overland
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 endeavor, showing many remote corners of the world on film for the first time.
In recreating The First Overland, 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.
Two Land Rover 86” station wagons were loaned to the 1955 Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition: ‘Oxford’ & ‘Cambridge’. The car being used for The Last Overland was dubbed 'Oxford'. After the original journey was complete, the car ended up on remote Saint Helena in the mid-Atlantic. As time progressed, most of 'Oxford' was dismantled and left rest to rust, but in 2017 a determined Yorkshireman - Adam Bennett - recovered, refurbished and brought back to life in the UK. It passed its MOT at the first attempt, and the its original SNX891 number plate was reinstated.
About JLR Nitra
The New €1.4bn (£1bn) manufacturing plant opened in Slovakia on 25 October 2018. The 300,000m² facility stands at the forefront of aluminium manufacturing and engineering expertise in Slovakia, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year.
The plant incorporates cutting-edge technologies and it is the first in Europe to use Kuka’s Pulse carrier system which is 30 per cent faster transfer times than conventional conveyance systems. It also features a highly automated paint shop process to ensure the highest quality and minimise the environment impact.
About New Defender
Incomparable, unstoppable: An icon reimagined for the 21st century
Design with purpose, engineered to excite: Clever and characterful with an instantly recognisable silhouette that features signature Defender elements including short front and rear overhangs
World-class expert off and on-road: All-terrain ability is beyond question, composed on any surface with supreme comfort ensuring long journeys are covered with ease
Looks tough, is tough: Durable new D7x architecture engineered to withstand Extreme Event Test procedure, above and beyond the normal standard for SUVs and passenger cars
21st century technology: Introduces new Pivi Pro infotainment with a more intuitive interface and Software-Over-The-Air updates to provide the latest software at all times, anywhere in the world
Meet the family: Defender 110 available with 5+2 seating in four distinct Accessory Packs (Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban) and with 170 individual accessories, will be joined by a smaller Defender 90 and versatile commercial models
Efficiency at its heart: Electrified powertrains introduced to Defender with advanced mild-hybrid and plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) options, as well as powerful and efficient petrol and diesel engines
Modern interior: The functional, durable and flexible interior is unique, with exposed structural elements and a central front jump seat – perfect for sharing adventures with the family
Intelligent off-road tech: Land Rover’s pioneering Terrain Response technology adds new Wade mode, while Configurable Terrain Response allows the driver to tailor set-up more precisely
Expedition-ready: A maximum payload of up to 900kg, static roof load of up to 300kg, towing capacity of 3,720kg* and wading depth of up to 900mm combine to make new Defender the ultimate 4x4 for overland adventure
About Land Rover MENA:
Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's SUV sectors, with 80 per cent of this model range exported to over 100 countries.
For more information please visit: landrover-me.com or log onto media.landrover.com
Contacts:
For more information please visit: jaguar-me.com / landrover-me.com or log onto media.jaguarlandrover.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Salman Sultan | Jaguar Land Rover | Tel: +971 4 372 4923 | Email: ssultan1@jaguarlandrover.com
Carmen Rusinoiu | Ogilvy Public Relations | Tel: +971 5 445 45013 | Email: JLR.MENA@ogilvy.com
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