- Title: NAIROBI: KENYAN BROTHERS WIN SAFARI RALLY
- Date: 20th April 1965
- Summary: 1. GV PAN No.1 VOLVO DRIVEN BY THE SINGH BROTHERS FINISHES THE WINNER 0.07 2. GV THE VOLVO No.1 DRIVING IN SURROUNDED BY CROWD (2 SHOTS) 0.15 3. REAR VIEW CROWDS RUNNING AFTER IT 0.16 4. SV SINGH BROTHERS BEING PRESENTED WITH GARLANDS 0.24 5. LV & GV POLICE KEEPING CROWDS BACK (2 SHOTS) 0.30 6. SV SINGH BROTHERS BEING CHEERED 0.3
- Embargoed: 5th May 1965 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAIROBI KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Reuters ID: LVA37K3TE6VZ4FT9IZVBPPAPA4MF
- Story Text: TWO KENYA BROTHERS, SIKHS JOGINDER AND JASWANT SINGH, DROVE THEIR VOLVO CAR TO VICTORY IN THE 1965 SAFARI RALLY IN NAIROBI YESTERDAY (MONDAY). THEY HAD LED THE FIELD FOR ALMOST ALL THE TOUGH 3,152 MILES (5072 KILOMETRES) COURSE. KENYA DRIVERS TOOK SECOND AND THIRD PLACES IN A PEUGEOT AND A FORD CORTINA. ONLY 15 OF THE 85 STARTERS FINISHED THE COURSE.
THOUSANDS OF AFRICANS AND INDIANS TURNED OUT TO WELCOME THE SINGH BROTHERS VICTORY OUTSIDE NAIROBI TOWN HALL. THEY WERE PLEASED THAT LOCAL BOYS HAD BEATEN DRIVING ACES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. POLICE WERE UNABLE TO KEEP THE CROWDS BEHIND THE CRUSH BARRIERS AND THEY SWARMED ROUND THE WINNERS.
THE WINNING CAR, A VOLVO, WAS BOUGHT SECOND-HAND AFTER CLOCKING MORE THAN 50,000 MILES. IT WAS STRIPPED DOWN AND REBUILT CAREFULLY BEFORE THE RALLY BY THE TWO SIKHS, BOTH OF WHOM ARE MOTOR MECHANICS. JOGINDER SINGH SAID AFTERWARDS: "THE SAFARI WAS VERY INTERESTING, VERY FAST, VERY MUDDY AND VERY TOUGH - EVEN TOUGHER THAN 1963." ONLY 7 CARS FINISHED THE 1963 RALLY WHEN THE BROTHERS CAME FOURTH.
THE SAFARI LIVED UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST RALLY. HEAVY RAINS OVER THE FINAL SECTION OF THE SOUTHERN LEG TO MOMBASA HAD TURNED THE COURSE INTO MUD AND TROUBLE FOR THE COMPETITORS. IT SOON BECAME CLEAR THAT ONLY THE HEAVIER VEHICLES WERE ABLE TO CONTEND WITH THE CONDITIONS. THE OTHER CARS TO FINISH WERE PUEGEOTS, CITROENS AND MERCEDES. THERE WAS NO TEAM PRIZE AWARDED FOR NONE MANAGED TO GET 3 CARS ACROSS THE FINISHING LINE.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None