Land-Rover Oiler in Gruelling Test
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ELEVEN people, with stretchers_ blanket rolls and other equipment —including half 'a ton of corrugated iron—were travelling on a Perkinsengined Land-Rover when it completed a gruelling 108-mile trip up the Sani Pass in Basutoland. The purpose of the trip was to demonstrate the capabilities of the P4(C) oil engine to Mr. David Alexander, of Mokholong Mountain Transport. '
He operates Land-Rovers and a Jeep between Himeville and Mokholong, carrying freight, native labourers and tourists.
The Land-Rover started its journey 5,200 ft. above sea level with six people
and the corrugated iron aboard. Going up. to 9,500 ft. along a steep and narrow track it was often necessary to reverse the vehicle to negotiate some bends on a gradient of almost 1 in I.
At a guest house at the top of the pass the party found five stranded people, and took them on as passengers with all their baggage. Mr. R. B. Truter, a Perkins service engineer who was on the trip, said later: "The Diesel was able to take the steepest turning climbs after reversing at a fast idling speed set on the idling control. This was achieved without slipping the clutch and with no strain on the transmission."