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An Englishman and a Canadian bought a Reliant Robin, the British three-wheeled car from the 70s named Sheila, and set off from London towards the southern tip of Africa on a journey of 22,500 kilometers through 22 countries. Without air conditioning and with a low-power engine, the duo took over 120 days to reach Cape Town.
The proposal was so absurd that it couldn’t be refused. When Canadian Seth Scott suggested to Englishman Ollie Jenks that they cross all of Africa in a three-wheeled car, the answer came without hesitation. The chosen vehicle was a Reliant Robin, a British model that became famous in the UK for being simple, cheap, and designed for one purpose: to go to the market and back. With a low-power engine, no air conditioning, no power steering, and poor performance both uphill and downhill, the Robin is the opposite of everything one would expect from a vehicle to cross tropical forests, mountains, and African deserts.
The car was named Sheila, bought specifically for the adventure and loaded with fuel and basic supplies strapped to the small roof. The duo left London in October heading to Cape Town, South Africa, planning to cover about 22,500 kilometers through 22 countries. The journey lasted over 120 days and cost between $40,000 and $50,000, funded by sponsors and crowdfunding. The journey was documented on an Instagram page that gathered nearly 100,000 followers under the title that sums it all up: “14,000 miles, 3 wheels, 0 common sense.”
What happens when a three-wheeled car faces real Africa
According to information released by the G1 portal, mechanical problems began even before the three-wheeled car left Europe. In the first weeks, Sheila needed to replace the wheel springs, a clear sign that the vehicle was not designed to withstand roads outside of British asphalt. In Ghana, the transmission broke and left the Robin stuck in fourth gear, forcing the duo to drive hundreds of kilometers without being able to slow down properly.
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In Cameroon, the problems piled up: clutch failures, a distributor defect, and finally, the engine simply stopped working. The trip only didn’t end there because strangers along the way mobilized to help. One man arranged a new transmission for Ghana. Reliant Robin enthusiasts in the UK sent a replacement engine to Cameroon. In one of the most improbable episodes, Sheila was loaded onto a cattle truck to the nearest workshop, where local mechanics repaired the vehicle with improvised tools and a generous dose of disbelief.
The dangers the duo faced beyond mechanical failures
Sheila’s problems were predictable. What no one could anticipate was the geopolitical scenario the duo would encounter along the way. Jenks and Scott arrived in Benin during an attempted coup and crossed northern Nigeria while the United States was conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets in the region. In Cameroon, the situation required military escort for approximately 480 kilometers in an area marked by separatist conflicts.
The contrast between the three-wheeled car and the military convoy that accompanied it created one of the most surreal scenes of the trip. In Congo, a bus nearly crushed Sheila against a cliff, a reminder that African traffic can be as dangerous as any conflict zone for a vehicle that weighs less than most cargo motorcycles. The duo documented each episode on social media, feeding an audience that grew with each new risky situation.
The landscapes that made it all worth it
Not everything on the crossing was danger and mechanical frustration. The Reliant Robin crossed mountain ranges, stunning deserts, and landscapes that few motorized travelers can access. During a safari, the three-wheeled car drove alongside giraffes, spotted rhinos, and posed for photos just a few meters from an elephant, in scenes that seemed straight out of a British comedy film set in the savannah.
The reaction of people along the route was another aspect that marked the duo. Mechanics, locals, and travelers who crossed Sheila’s path alternated between astonishment and admiration, often unable to believe that this silver, toy-like vehicle had come from London and survived thousands of kilometers of African roads. The generosity of strangers who helped with parts, accommodation, and guidance was, according to Jenks, as striking as the landscapes.
The arrival in Cape Town and Sheila’s final destination
More than 120 days after departure, the Reliant Robin arrived in Cape Town with an overheated engine and crooked wheels. The last 1,600 kilometers through the Namibian desert nearly finished Sheila off, and the vehicle that had survived 22 countries crossed the finish line more as a survivor than as a winner. South African Graeme Hurst, who accompanied the journey, summed up the general sentiment by saying that the story is a symbol of persistence with a comedic side that is impossible to ignore.
In South Africa, the three-wheeled car was temporarily displayed in a luxury vehicle showroom, where it attracted more attention than models from brands like Porsche and Mercedes, even with a broken window, stained windshield, and wear marks all over the body. Sheila will be restored and continue her journey to Kenya, from where she will be shipped to Turkey and then back to the UK, where she is expected to gain a permanent place in the London Transport Museum. Jenks summed up the experience with a phrase that only makes sense to those who have driven a Robin through 22 countries: “It was like driving a motorized coffin.”
Would you have the courage to cross an entire continent in a three-wheeled car from the 70s, or does the idea already seem too crazy just to read? Tell us in the comments what was the craziest trip you have ever taken or dream of taking, we want to know if this story inspired or scared you.
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