Driving around the world is no mean feat. Doing it in a 100-year-old Ford Model T however, is a staggering challenge– but that’s exactly what Dirk and Trudy Regter from the Netherlands are attempting.
The Regters began their epic journey in the summer of 2012. The retired husband and wife covered 22,000 kilometres in 180 days during the first leg of the drive,which took them from their home town of Edam in the Netherlands to Cape Town in South Africa.
In 2013, the couple conquered the U.S. and Canada, crossing 22 states during their 28,000-kilometre, 180-day road trip. In 2014, they ticked off another 26,000 kilometres through South America in a further 180 days.
So far, the intrepid couple have driven almost 80,000 kilometres visiting and supporting various projects run by the international children’s aid organisation SOS – Children’s Villages.
In 2016 and 2017 they plan to continue their journey through New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and India, crossing the Himalayas to China, through Mongolia and back to the Netherlands via Central Europe.
The Regters’ Ford Model T is powered by a 3.0-litre petrol engine and remains in the same specification as when it left the factory in 1915, apart from larger tyres for the wooden-spoked wheels, which make the ride softer and more bearable over long journeys. A set of tyres will last around 15,000 km on normal roads, but many fewer miles on some of the rough, unpaved tracks tackled by the Regters in regions such as Africa and South America.
The couple have owned their 1915 Ford Model T since 1997. Dirk previously owned a 1923 Ford Model T and a 1928 Ford Model A. Travelling the world in a 100-year-old Ford Model T takes serious dedication, but the vintage model is very robust and its simple design makes it easy to service and repair.
You can watch Dirk recount the many highs and occasional lows of their amazing journey via the YouTube link below!
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