CAMEL TROPHY VEHICLES - JEEP

LOS UNICOS VEHÍCULOS QUE NO FUERON LAND ROVER

Volviendo al tema, para la primera edición del Camel Trophy, la ruta Transamazónica, la organización del evento no llevó los vehículos participantes desde Alemania (único pais en participar); para ediciones posteriores, como sabemos los Land-Rover fueron fabricados en la factoría de Solihull (UK) y tras la preparación y rodaje, se embarcaban al país de destino. En los origenes de esta aventura se eligieron vehículos Jeep CJ-5 y parece ser que fueron adquiridos en Brasil. En aquel entonces, estos Jeep no eran fabricados por AMC USA e importados a Brasil, ni eran construidos en Brasil por AMC (recordemos que por aquel entonces AMC era propietaria de Jeep). Los CJ-5 del Camel Trophy, fueron un modelo del mercado brasileño, fabricados por FORD Brasil denominados U50. Ford compró a Willys sus factorías de Brasil a finales de 1967, y siguió construyendo los Jeep, pero bajo sus variaciones de diseño y mecánica. Los Jeep del Camel Trophy de 1980 llevaban motor Ford 2.3L de gasolina, que Ford comenzó a instalarlo en los Jeeps a mediados de los ´70, tambien contaban con transmisión de 4 velocidades sincronizadas. Ford continuó construyendo Jeeps en Brasil hasta 1983.

New details about the Jeeps used in Transamazonica thanks to David Hatherill from the Camel Trophy Owners Club

It would be easy to think that the vehicles used were straight forward Jeep CJ5’s built at the company’s Toledo, Ohio plant, in the good ol’ U.S. of A. as has been suggested before, but like most things related to Camel Trophy, all is never as it seems. Having studied the vehicles there are a number of features which do not make sense at all for US product. Firstly the vehicles were 81 inch wheelbase, although the American factory had stopped production of these and extended the wheelbase to 84 inches in 1974. Secondly the windscreen wiper motors were at the top of the windscreen, whereas US models did not feature this even as late as 1970, Thirdly the shape of the rear wheel arches did not correspond with any vehicles ever to roll out the Toledo factory, and finally the canvas top did not match any patterns produced in the US .

Basically CJ5’s were, over the years, produced in a vast number of countries, sometimes as CKD kits, but in other cases many parts and even complete vehicles were locally produced. This accounts for the fact that many look very different. One of these factories was in Brazil , home of the Transamazon highway, so it comes as little surprise to find out that the Camel Trophy Jeeps were in fact built there. The Brazilian factory was owned by Ford of Brazil, and they had a license to produce a locally built CJ5 called a Ford U-50.

Each vehicle was equipped with 6.00 x 16 bar grip tyres, and carried a bonnet mounted spare, which is very unusual for a Jeep, in addition to the side mounted spare on the rear body tub. A Jerrican was carried each side in front of the door. A large tubular bull bar was fitted on a more substantial than normal bumper. Naturally for Camel Trophy four additional lights were fitted, although they were attached to the bull bar rather than the familiar roof rack position of the Land Rovers. And that’s about it equipment wise. Military CJ5’s have a shovel mount on the underside of the bonnet, these vehicles may have been the same.

They were fitted with the original 3 speed transmission, which takes some getting used to as reverse is where first would normally be, but this was connected to a Ford engine rather than the more normal Willys Hurricane unit, which by 1980 would have been very long in the tooth. The engine used was a Ford inline 4 designated type 141 overhead cam unit, of 2.3 litre displacement, which must have provided quite reasonable performance for such a light vehicle with 91 bhp on tap.....Yes folks, the Jeep is lighter despite what Land Rover would tell you about Ali panels.

There were three teams competing: all German, so no prizes for guessing which country won. There’d be more prizes for guessing what support vehicles were used. Unbelievably they appear to be Brazilian license built Volkswagens, but so far I’ve failed to actually identify them.

The event itself started from Belem near the Brazilian coast and headed approximately west for 1600 kms to Santarem , taking 12 days to get there. Unlike later events no standard livery was applied and one vehicle was red, whilst the other two were yellow.  It has been stated in a few places that the vehicles were rented from Hertz, but we have no evidence whether this was true or not. They were lettered Camel Trans Amazonica on each side of the bonnet, and one is known to have been burnt out during the course of the event. All in all quite a low budget affair and very far removed from the later larger events with attendant media circus.

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