Porsche 911's Epic Journey 46 Years Ago Might Never Be Repeated
Afghanistan was once a place that you could drive across without worry, save for the rugged terrain you'd encounter, of course.
Rare Journey
Sadly, Afghanistan has been a dangerous place plagued by upheaval for many years now. And that doesn't figure to change any time soon. But there was a time when it was safe to traverse the country's rugged terrain. In fact, 46 years ago, a trio of folks named Carole de Gara, Siegfried Hammelehle, and Rick Lomba did just that in a classic Porsche 911 S Targa. Recently, Porsche took the time to reflect on this epic and fascinating journey.
Photos: Porsche
Courageous Trio
The trio from Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Africa drove a Porsche 911 and a Volkswagen 411 from Germany over 16,000 miles across Turkey as well as today's Iran and Afghanistan in two months – and back again. This was long before Iran became an Islamic republic and Afghanistan was an intact state, although there was a bit of upheaval during the time of their trip. Regardless, these three courageous folks set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that landed deep within the Porsche archives until recently.
Photos: Porsche
>>Join the conversation about the journey this classic 911 took right here in Rennlist.com.
Tracking Down History
After coming across this handful of striking photos, Porsche sought out to find out what happened to these three individuals in the many years since their trip occurred. The original travel notes of Rick Lomba, the trip chronicler, have not been preserved, and he passed away long ago. Carole de Gara got married in England, but making contact with her proved to be difficult. That left Siegfried Hammelehle, owner of the Porsche, who Porsche was able to get a hold of an interview.
Photos: Porsche
>>Join the conversation about the journey this classic 911 took right here in Rennlist.com.
Ultra Reliable
Hammelehle, a carpet exporter, visited Kabul for work once and immediately fell in love. He soon came up with the idea to drive his Porsche across Afghanistan and documented the trip on film. He convinced Lomba, who he met while visiting his uncle in South Africa, to photograph the journey. De Gara, his girlfriend at the time, agreed to tag along and assist. Thus, on August 5, 1973, the trio set out with nothing more than a vehicle toolkit, some spare spark plugs, oil filters, and belts in their luggage. The Porsche proved to be ultra-reliable on the journey, save for many damaged tires.
Photos: Porsche
>>Join the conversation about the journey this classic 911 took right here in Rennlist.com.
Enduring Passion
After 56 days of rugged travel, the trio returned to their starting point in Altbach. They all went their separate ways afterward, though the film they shot regarding carpets was actually broadcast by SWF, a regional broadcaster in Southwest Germany. Their corresponding Porsche film was lost to time, unfortunately, though these photos survived. Hammelehle still resides in Germany, and unsurprisingly, owns a 1970 Porsche 911 T. Because as we well know, Porsche passion is one thing that never dies.
Photos: Porsche
>>Join the conversation about the journey this classic 911 took right here in Rennlist.com.
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