Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On this episode of Chasing Dust, Matt kicks off a brand new mini-series called Glory Days — dedicated to the stories from off-road history that deserve their own spotlight. And there's no better place to start than the Camel Trophy.
What began as a one-time publicity stunt by a cigarette company in the Amazon rainforest somehow became the most iconic off-road competition in history. Matt breaks down how it happened, why it ended, and why nothing has ever come close to replacing it.
Timestamps:
00:00 | Intro
01:30 | The Transamazonica Highway
02:30 | Andreas Bender Has an Idea
03:35 | The Rental Jeeps of the first Camel Trophy
04:15 | What Was the First Camel Trophy Like?
05:39 | Land Rover Takes Notice
06:36 | Camel Tophy Range Rovers Make Their Debut
07:45 | The Event Grows Rapidly
08:58 | Who Got to Compete in the Camel Trophy?
09:51 | It Was Not a Race
11:07 | Why Did The Camel Trophy End?
12:37 | This Was Not the Plan
13:37 | Wrap-Up
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On this episode of Chasing Dust, Matt kicks off a brand new mini-series called Glory Days — dedicated to the stories from off-road history that deserve their own spotlight. And there's no better place to start than the Camel Trophy.
What began as a one-time publicity stunt by a cigarette company in the Amazon rainforest somehow became the most iconic off-road competition in history. Matt breaks down how it happened, why it ended, and why nothing has ever come close to replacing it.
Timestamps:
00:00 | Intro
01:30 | The Transamazonica Highway
02:30 | Andreas Bender Has an Idea
03:35 | The Rental Jeeps of the first Camel Trophy
04:15 | What Was the First Camel Trophy Like?
05:39 | Land Rover Takes Notice
06:36 | Camel Tophy Range Rovers Make Their Debut
07:45 | The Event Grows Rapidly
08:58 | Who Got to Compete in the Camel Trophy?
09:51 | It Was Not a Race
11:07 | Why Did The Camel Trophy End?
12:37 | This Was Not the Plan
13:37 | Wrap-Up
Subscribe: youtube.com/c/DrivingLine?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Driving Line on Facebook: facebook.com/drivingline
Follow Driving Line on Instagram: instagram.com/drivingline
