Adventures and memories: a Christmas journey round the world with Minerva

• 
• 
• 
• 

As we celebrate another Christmas, I am reminded of a unique and captivating Christmas story that began four years ago. It all started when I came across a motoring diary through an online auction site. Remarkably, it arrived on Christmas Day. The diary was exactly 100 years old, a special gift from Bob and Miriam to their mother on Christmas, in 1924. At the time, photography was still a privilege reserved for the wealthy, as was owning a car and travelling.

In 1920, Bob and Miriam purchased a Minerva automobile in Belgium and made the journey to pick it up personally. They crossed the Channel from Ostend to Dover by ferry, where they captured their first photograph. This moment seemed to spark an idea—perhaps they should document their adventures so they could always treasure the memories. From that point on, they embarked on numerous trips round their homeland, documenting each one through photographs, which they carefully compiled into a small diary. Their travels included destinations such as London, Ellenglaze, Northumberland, Swansea, Kent, Essex, Scotland, Tintagel, Bridgwater, Brighton, and even Shakespeare’s birthplace. They visited countless castles and cathedrals, establishing a valuable link between past and present.

On Christmas Day, 1921, Bob and Miriam gifted the diary to their mother, allowing her to experience these adventures vicariously—journeys which perhaps she would never have the opportunity to undertake herself.

At that moment, I thought, "What a rare and unique treasure." But a year later, another remarkable story crossed my path. Pierre Doriaan, along with his wife, embarked on an extraordinary journey in 1938. They drove a second-hand Minerva eight-cylinder car, travelling from the southernmost tip of Africa to the northernmost point of Canada, a feat that was as spectacular as it sounds. Their journey spanned continents, from the Cape of Good Hope to the northern reaches of Canada. This story is still a powerful testament to the resilience of both man and machine.

The surprises didn’t end there. In 1934, a Swiss adventurer took a Minerva on a journey through the Balkans to the Middle East, all the way to Persia. Then, viâ the Mediterranean Sea and Italy, he returned home. This remarkable adventure is chronicled in a 125-page book, which I'd like to add to my collection; hopefully it will arrive in my mailbox this Christmas or even on Sinterklaas Day. Not only did the adventurer carry an ordinary camera, but he also had a video camera to make his own documentary film. If you're a PreWarCar.com reader, you might already be familiar with this story.

Though details on the car were sparse, the Swiss traveller affectionately named his car "Trudy." It was a red Minerva, capable of covering 500 miles on a full tank. Given the challenging terrain, with bad roads and steep climbs, the average speed remained at around 30 miles an hour. The roads were often strewn with horse nails, and in some cases, they were in such poor condition that they were barely passable. Corruption at borders and village checkpoints, particularly in Turkey, made the journey even more difficult. The car also endured some mishaps—the rear suspension was reinforced due to heavy luggage, and the front mudguard supports broke along the way. Yet Trudy pressed on. One of the most harrowing moments occurred on the road to Damascus, when they ran out of fuel 37 miles from the city. Despite the fear of damaging the car’s undercarriage on the many stones along the way, only one wheel needed repairs. The journey was captured in about 25 photographs, though the quality of the images was not the best. As a pre-war car enthusiast, I’ve enhanced them to bring out their beauty.

And now, with these three stories written down, I remember another adventure I once shared on my blog, Pre-1930 Rally. It was the tale of a Minerva, known as ‘the Greyhound,’ that travelled from England to Rome in the early 1900s. This famous route was particularly popular with university students studying Latin, and I heard of some who borrowed a 1908 Minerva from one of their grandmothers to embark on a memorable journey. One interesting detail that stood out was how Switzerland had already implemented environmental measures to prevent air pollution by restricting access to mountain passes on certain days and times. In Italy, they even had to attach a horn to the exhaust, making their cars known from afar in urban areas. This might explain why Italians have such a love for honking!

Additionally, I’ve posted a story on my blog about a Minerva owner who toured Ireland in the late 1920s. His journey was documented with photographs and a map covering thousands of miles.

As I share these four incredible journeys—each a testament to the spirit of adventure—I hope it brings joy to PreWarCar.com readers this Christmas. And with that, I leave you with a question: are there any other similar stories of private individuals who undertook epic journeys in their cars? I look forward to hearing your thoughts and stories.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Words and photos by Ivo Braeken

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.