Camel Trophy

Camel Trophy originated in 1980 with three Jeep-equipped German teams exploring the Amazon Basin.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/view/cameltrophyclub/history/transamazonica-1980|title = Camel Trophy Club - Transamazonica 1980}} After that first event, the organisers turned to Land Rover for support and over the course of the next twenty years, all of the Land Rover vehicle range were used.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/view/cameltrophyclub/history/vehicles|title = Camel Trophy Club - Vehicles}} Range Rover, Land Rover Series III, Land Rover 90, Land Rover 110, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery, and Freelander vehicles all appeared in the distinctive "sandglow" colour scheme.

The cars were heavily modified by Land Rover Special Vehicles{{Cite web|url=https://silodrome.com/camel-trophy-land-rover-defender-for-sale/|title = An Original Camel Trophy Land Rover Defender|date = 12 October 2021}} with a range of expedition, recovery, and safety equipment, including:

• Safety Devices roll cages
• Under body protection (skid plates) 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, Royal Dutch Shell, 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 United Kingdom 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, making restoring the vehicles to their original competition condition expensive and time-consuming.

Over the 18-year period in which the Camel Trophy featured Land Rover vehicles, Italian teams ultimately won the Camel Trophy three times{{cite AV media |date=21 March 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRhzT1jaGwY |title=Camel Trophy Chat episode 5: Team Italia |publisher=Camel Trophy Club |via=YouTube |access-date=24 January 2022}} - in 1982,{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/view/cameltrophyclub/history/papua-new-guinea-1982|title=Camel Trophy Club - Papua New Guinea 1982}} 1984,{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/view/cameltrophyclub/history/brazil-1984|title = Camel Trophy Club - Brazil 1984}} and 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/view/cameltrophyclub/history/madagascar-1987|title=Camel Trophy Club - Madagascar 1987}} Teams from the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Turkey all won the Camel Trophy twice.

In 2003, competitors representing sixteen nations helped Land Rover fill the gap left after the demise of Camel Trophy. Surprisingly, the inaugural Land Rover G4 Challenge contained many of the elements of Camel Trophy 1998, which Land Rover had reportedly been disappointed with. The "ultimate global adventure" was a test of skill, stamina, and mental agility in four separate stages, each in a different time zone. The prize was a top-of-the-range Freelander or Range Rover. The winner Rudi Thoelen declined a Range Rover, and opted for two Defenders instead.

The 2006 Land Rover G4 Challenge promised to be tougher than the inaugural event and delivered a more vehicle-based focus. The competitors, working in bi-national teams faced thousands of miles of vehicle-based activity in Thailand, Laos, Brazil, and Bolivia.

The 2008-9 G4 Challenge, supporting the Red Cross and based in Mongolia, was cancelled in December 2008 in the middle of the selection stages due to the current global economic downturn. Land Rover were forced to end the event as a cost saving-measure to allow them to focus on product launches in 2009.

• Camel (cigarette)
• Land Rover
• Land Rover Series
• Land Rover Defender
• Range Rover Classic
• Land Rover Discovery
• Land Rover Freelander

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Camel Trophy}}

• [http://www.cameltrophyclub.com/ Camel Trophy Club] Camel Trophy Club intends to keep the Camel Trophy spirit alive!
• [http://www.cameltrophyarchive.com/ Camel Trophy Club photographic archive] Hundreds of thousands of images available from Camel Trophy Club
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU6VLWQ9_aER49CWjqU9ezQ Camel Trophy Club video channel] YouTube is a good source of free-to-view Camel Trophy footage and the Camel Trophy Club channel includes exclusive interviews with Camel Trophy people.
• [http://www.cameltrophyshop.com/ Camel Trophy Shop] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809225342/http://www.cameltrophyshop.com/ |date=9 August 2013 }} Camel Trophy memorabilia
• [http://www.cameltrophy.com.br/ Camel Trophy Forever - Brazil] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093835/http://cameltrophy.com.br/ |date=6 July 2011 }} Photos, events, history, hobbies, articles ...
• [http://www.cameltrophyportugal.com/ Camel Trophy Portugal] Photos, articles, vehicle replicas and events {{in lang|pt}}
• [http://smokeandrubber.com/camel-trophy.html SmokeandRubber.com Motorsort DVD Shop] Re-release of the Camel Trophy events from 1990 to 1998 on DVD
• [http://www.lrfaq.org/FAQ.6.CamelTrophy.html The Land Rover FAQ] Camel Trophy Info - list of event results and vehicles used
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090323054622/http://www.camelboats.com/ Camel Trophy Boats] Sale of the original camel trophy boats used in the 2000 event. Good photos and info.
• [http://www.camel-trophy.nl/ Camel Trophy Netherlands] A group of Camel trophy enthusiasts from the Netherlands.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090622023218/http://www.cameltrophyadventures.co.uk/ Camel Trophy Adventures - Bulgaria] Camel Trophy Adventure Holidays in Bulgaria.

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Category:Land Rover

Category:Off-road racing

Category:R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Category:20th century in sports