Two Brentons Drive 1925 Studebakers Across Australia's Outback

Two men named Brenton are driving century-old cars through some of Australia's toughest terrain, and the vintage Studebakers are outperforming modern vehicles.

Brenton Whittenbury and Brenton Taylor left Adelaide on May 18 to recreate the exact journey Captain Edward Bagot made 100 years earlier. They're driving two 1925 Studebakers from Adelaide to Darwin and back along the old Overland Telegraph Line, covering thousands of miles through the central Australian outback.

The journey carries deep personal meaning for Whittenbury. His great-grandfather, Clarence Judd, was one of 12 passengers who paid the equivalent of $8,010 each to join Captain Bagot's original 1926 expedition, which aimed to open the outback for tourism.

Judd filmed the entire journey, and young Whittenbury watched that grainy footage as a child. "It just captured my imagination in those early days and I've been thinking about making this trip for a long time," he said.

The massive 4.8-litre Studebakers were luxury vehicles in their day, costing three times more than a Model T Ford. Entrepreneurs chose them for their durability and size, with room for seven passengers and powerful engines built for rough conditions.

Why This Inspires

A quarter of the way through their journey, the vintage cars have proven their legendary toughness. The friends' modern four-wheel drive support vehicles keep getting stuck in sand, while the Studebakers push through using techniques from a 1929 travel book.

They roll out 15-meter-long sand mats, tuck them under the wheels, and crawl across the desert one stretch at a time. "It's been amazing, they really do work," Taylor said.

The convoy has faced minimal problems so far. One car broke a radiator fan blade near Beltana, but they fixed it quickly in nearby Copley and continued on.

Remarkably, the original expedition 100 years ago had almost the same trouble-free experience. Captain Bagot's team broke a spring and had one flat tire, and that was about it.

The friends are accompanied by five support vehicles and expect to reach Darwin on June 6, exactly 100 years after Bagot. They'll return via the Barkly Tableland and Birdsville Track, following their predecessor's route as closely as possible.

Along the way, they're raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, turning their personal adventure into support for the organization that keeps outback Australians safe. Two friends, two vintage cars, and one century-old dream proving that some journeys are worth repeating.