LONG WAY BACK

Two intrepid ex-pat Brits took an E-type from Kuala Lumpur to Yorkshire in 77 days. This is their epic overland adventure

- Mike Johnston

FAMILY AND FRIENDS are flagging us away. It's 8am as we set off with the roof down in the tropical heat. The car is a 1967 Jaguar E-type roadster, imported from the USA, restored here in Malaysia (I've been living in Asia for 28 years) and converted to right-hand drive. Paul, an old university friend from Colorado Springs, USA, was keen to join me and is unfazed by the prospect of two months and more away. Our destination is the UK, 14,500 miles distant, via South-East Asia, China, Central Asia and over the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan - current conflicts and travel advisories rule out Myanmar, Russia and Iran. After Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, we'll take our pick through Europe.

The car has been in regular use for six years since its restoration and is ready and willing. Although the route is clear, you cannot travel independently through China with your own vehicle. Several agencies offer tours, and we have opted for a 27-day group tour from the Laos border, across Tibet and the Himalayas, exiting at Kyrgyzstan. It's the only fixed element of the trip and determines our April start date.

Day one is ambitious. We make great progress through Malaysia to Krabi, on the west coast of Thailand, covering 500 miles our longest daily distance. Tropical storms mean we arrive in the dark, and the limitations of the windscreen wipers and headlights become evident.