The crazy record set by two adventurers with a journey of 22,500 km in a “coffin on wheels”

Britain's Ollie Jenks remembers when his friend first proposed the idea to him. “It was so ridiculous I couldn't say no,” Jenks told The Associated Press.

The proposal from his Canadian friend Seth Scott, himself a car enthusiast and crazy adventurer, was for them to drive across 22 countries, from London to the southern tip of Africa, in a decades-old British Reliant Robin.

The objective? The journey of 22,500 kilometers would have earned them the world record for the longest trip in a three-wheeled vehicle.

The Reliant Robin has near-legendary status in Britain, seen as a modest three-wheeler that, Jenks says, was designed in 1970s Britain for short journeys – to the shop and back. Production ceased in the early 2000s, but the model remains beloved in British culture, especially after a Reliant appeared as the Trotter brothers' rickety but reliable yellow van in the hugely popular UK comedy series Only Fools and Horses.

However, as the Associated Press notes, you could hardly find a vehicle more unsuitable for covering thousands of kilometers through tropical jungles, mountain ranges and deserts along the west coast of Africa. But that was precisely why Jenks agreed to the absurd plan.

“Sheila”, the three-wheeled car of the two adventurers

'Sheila', the silver three-wheeler – one of the last Reliant Robin units made – was bought by the pair just for this adventure.

Jenks and Scott set off in October with a canister of fuel and a few essential supplies strapped to the small roof of the Sheila, but mostly with a considerable dose of blind hope that they would somehow make it to Cape Town, South Africa, near the end of the world.

“It doesn't have power steering, it doesn't have air conditioning, and it doesn't handle uphill or downhill very well. It's probably the most unsuitable car for any trip,” Jenks told the AP.

“We've become friends with the designer of this car, and he's afraid to drive it more than 20 miles,” he said.

He and Scott ignored all advice and set off with “Sheila” on an epic journey of over four and a half months that cost around $40,000-$50,000. They were helped by sponsors and crowdfunding, documenting their journey on an Instagram page that has attracted nearly 100,000 followers.

Adventures in Africa with a three-wheeler

They arrived in Benin during an attempted coup. They crossed northern Nigeria as the United States launched airstrikes on targets linked to the Islamic State. They were given a military escort for about 480 kilometers through a region affected by separatist violence in Cameroon.

“Imagine this car in a military convoy,” Jenks urged in comments to the AP.

There were also numerous dangerous moments in traffic, including one where an overtaking bus nearly crushed “Sheila” against a rock face in the Congo.

Despite the name meaning “trust” in English, “Reliant” cars have a reputation that belies their name. “Sheila” suffered numerous breakdowns on the rough roads and needed wheel springs replaced in the first two weeks. The gearbox broke in Ghana, leaving them with only fourth gear. In Cameroon there were problems with the clutch and the distributor, and then came the major blow: the engine completely failed.

Despite all the technical problems, the kindness of strangers and the adventurous spirit of Jenks and Scott kept them going. A man sent a new gearbox to Ghana. Reliant enthusiasts in the UK helped find a new engine, which was shipped to Cameroon.

After one of the breakdowns, the locals helped the two adventurers load “Sheila” into a cattle truck to be taken to a workshop.

The Reliant Robin will arrive at London's Transport Museum

But there were also great moments, just the ones Jenks and Scott imagined would make the whole adventure worthwhile.

The two traversed spectacular mountain ranges and vast deserts in the “Sheila” – places no Reliant Robin had ever been to. He even went on a safari, running alongside galloping giraffes, spotting endangered rhinos and posing for a photo next to a giant elephant.

More than 120 days after departure, the car rattled into Cape Town last month with an engine that had begun to seriously overheat in the Namib Desert and had been running at its limit for around 1,600 kilometres.

In South Africa, “Sheila” was temporarily displayed in a luxury car showroom and attracted all the attention, in front of shiny Porsche and Mercedes models. Now it will rest and get the thorough overhaul it deserves, Jenks says.

It will eventually be driven to Kenya, put on a ship to Turkey, and then make a final journey back to the UK, where it will find its place at the Transport Museum in London.

Jenks said he felt triumphant after reaching Cape Town, but also relieved to have survived and finally escaped from the tiny two-seater.

“It was like driving a coffin on wheels,” the Briton told the AP.