These guys are driving from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin

These two friends are driving all the way from the UK’s capital, London to Cape Town in South Africa… in a Reliant Robin.

Now, an 8,178-mile road trip already sounds like a massive undertaking.

But Seth Scott and Ollie Jenks decided to up the ante by taking the trip in a three-wheeled car that’s infamous for rolling over.

However, it’s not all about the shock value – they’re raising money for an important cause along the way.

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Why were these guys driving from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin?

Seth and Ollie met around seven years ago when they participated in the Mongol Rally, in which they drove from England to Mongolia in a Suzuki Wagon.

At the launch party, they saw some guys making the trip in a Reliant Robin, and Seth never forgot.

“That always really stuck in my head. And so after about seven years, I’d just finished university. I was like, I want to try to make a trip like this happen,” Seth told Supercar Blondie.

“And I always wanted to drive from London to Cape Town.

“I did some research and found out that nobody had actually ever driven a three-wheeled car the length of Africa for a good reason, as we’re finding out right now.”

When you think of this three-wheeled car, you may recall it was the butt of many jokes in shows like Mr. Bean and Top Gear.

And you know a car’s tricky if it’s stressed out Jeremy Clarkson, the man who took on Bolivia’s ‘Death Road’.

It’s not got the best reputation, especially not for a long road trip.

So, how have the pair found driving the car they affectionately nicknamed ‘Sheila the Three-Wheeler’?

“It’s basically a motorcycle, it is so loud. We wear earplugs while we’re driving,” Seth said.

“It’s like driving a go-kart for six to eight hours a day, where you need to fully concentrate, because if you lose that concentration, it can be very dangerous quite quickly.

“I never want to see a Reliant Robin again after this.”

“I think to their credit, they’re more robust than I ever thought they’d be,” Ollie said.

“They’re stubborn, they’re a workhorse.”

Long-distance journeys can be challenging, regardless of the car – as Ed Bolian found out when he drove a McLaren F1 on a 1,000-mile road trip.

What sort of reactions has Sheila gotten along the way?

On their journey from London to Cape Town, Seth and Ollie have been handing out school bags in support of the charity School in a Bag.

In one Senegalese school, they gave out 40 school bags to first-grade children – with 50 giveaways planned at a school in Ghana next.

During their travels, they’ve seen a lot of different reactions to Sheila – and the reactions can vary from country to country.

“The Spaniards love the car. We got some like almost unhappy looks in France from some people,” Seth recalled.

“When we got into Morocco, oh, it was a mixed bag. A lot of people really enjoyed it. The police, you know, sometimes when we were at police checkpoints, they would take photos in the car.”

Those reactions from other drivers have been the highlight of the trip for the two.

“I’ve never seen women gawk at a vehicle the way they do this thing, whether it’s an expression of shock or disgust,” Seth joked.

“The amount of people videotaping you daily. There’s like probably 20 people that take our video, 20 or 30 people a day.”

It certainly makes for an interesting sight, especially when driving through the African continent.

As they make their way southwards, the two are hoping they’ll see more wildlife.

“I really want to see an elephant in the Robin,” Seth admitted.

“I think Ollie and I have been very excited for that happening. We saw a warthog from the car. It was kind of cool.

“We’ve seen monkeys and camels. All those things are honestly a bit exciting because it just kind of makes us feel like milestones on the trip.”

To support Seth and Ollie’s mission to raise money for School in a Bag, visit their JustGiving page.

If you want to follow their progress, head over to their Instagram page.

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