Tracing my African Routes

The Little Car That Could!In 1970 a young Peter W. Hills hears of a rusty wreck hidden in dense bush in Africa. He has to have this 1929 Morris Tourer and breathe life back into it.He recounts a fascinating story of the two-phase restoration project – first in Zambia and later in the UK. Life intervenes but after 22 years the Morris is up and running and attracting much attention as only one of nine known vehicles of that vintage in the world on the road.Peter has a dream to return his little car back to Africa to retrace its former life in the two Rhodesias (now Zimbabwe and Zambia). Over the years he has managed to piece together rare details of the car’s owners and their history.When Peter and his wife Sandy retire to become summer swallows living between the UK and South Africa the dream suddenly seems achievable. A plan is set in motion. Again, there are setbacks, not least the Covid pandemic and a broken crankshaft 20 days before departure.Social media plays an important role as Peter builds up a following of people from all over the world who contribute additional scraps of information about the car and its owners.If at first you don''t succeed try, try and try again! In May 2023 the 94-year-old car completed its 1,509 mile mission. The book contains a blow-by-blow account of the adventure, as well as details of the meticulous restoration and challenges along the way. It has over 500 full-colour photographs that bring the story of the journey to life and give some history of the towns and countries visited.This book will have general appeal, covering travel in Central Africa, nature and bygone times. It will be of particular interest to car nuts – the vintage car community will appreciate the detailed technical guides to car restoration in the appendix.

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