The Camel Trophy began in 1980 with three German teams driving Jeeps along the infamous Transamazonica Highway from Belem to Santarem in Brazil. Planned as a one-off promotional event, the Camel Trophy caught the imagination of all those who saw the images from this first journey. Subsequent events were held every year until 1998. A final waterborne Camel Trophy event was held in 2000.

The Camel Trophy grew from humble beginnings to become the most famous event of its kind in the world, a unique combination of adventure, expedition and competition.  It spawned a "brand" inspired by the powerful "Camel Trophy Spirit" shown by those who participated in the events.

Camel Trophy often defies definition.  Asked to describe Camel Trophy, the Event Director for ten years, Iain Chapman, used these words:

As the event developed over the years, thousands of hopeful candidates applied each year for the much sought after places. Each country had the responsibility of reducing national applicants to a final short-list of four. This was generally done along the lines of regional, district and national selection events lasting, variously, from one day to a week depending on the country concerned.

The four finalists from each participating country were eventually brought together to take part in the final international selections, a week of intense physical and mental scrutiny by an expert team of assessors, to decide which two national representatives were destined to take part in the forthcoming Camel Trophy.

Information about the history of Camel Trophy is gathered together here.  Some of the most authoritative information about the Came Trophy events comes from Iain Chapman, former Director of Sponsorship & Special Events for WBI Inc., the main sponsor of Camel Trophy.  For ten years, Iain Chapman help the prestigious but responsible position of Camel Trophy "Event Director" of Camel Trophy.  Click on the links in the table below to find out more about each year of the Camel Trophy.

home