2012 · THE COMEBACK · NORTH AFRICA
8 Sep – 22 Sep 2012
The Moroccan Rally 2012
5,633 miles from London to the Western Sahara. But first, a broken engine in France, an extraordinary cast of rescuers, and a relaunch against the odds.
The Expedition
The Comeback
Our fourth rally, and the hardest to get started. A catastrophic engine failure in June 2012 ended the first attempt before it really began. By September we were back, with Red rebuilt, heading for the Western Sahara.
The Moroccan Rally 2012 had two starts. The first, in June, ended within days when Red suffered a fatal engine failure in France. What should have been the end turned into something else entirely. Thanks to an extraordinary cast of friends, strangers, and mechanics, Red was rebuilt and back on the road by September.
The second launch took us from London through France and Spain and deep into Morocco, eventually pressing further south into the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, where we carefully navigated roads marked by old landmines from the conflict. 5,633 miles round trip, with Red, our 40+ years old Land Rover, who had more lives than most.
Explore
Dive In
22 Posts
Journal
The full story of the comeback. The engine failure, the rebuild, the relaunch, and the road to the Western Sahara.
13 Albums
Photos
Photography from the second attempt at the 2012 rally.
7 Videos
Videos
Footage from the rally that almost didn't happen.
5,633 Miles
The Route
London to the Western Sahara and back, via France, Spain, and Morocco.
1964 Land Rover
Red
Red's third rally. A 40+ years old Land Rover who earned her full Comeback Queen title here.
Fundraising
Mercy Corps
The Moroccan Rally 2012 raised funds for Mercy Corps.