1941 the richardson pan-american expedition

[tamangel]

a fun story that I came across:

THE RICHARDSON PAN-AMERICAN EXPEDITION 1941

http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/adventure01.htm

Mike

I was doing a search for these video's:

In the early 1950s Richardson resurrected the thousands of feet of movie film made and put it together into a travel-log--one film entitled "Rough Road To Panama," the other "Rugged Road To Cape Horn."

During the war, Richardson and Whitaker returned to Central America under the auspices of the U S Government, documenting the "Other Peoples of the Americas" -- while Van Hee served in the SeeBees. Their vehicle of choice this time was a Dodge Power Wagon Weapons Carrier.
from this web page:
http://www.allpar.com/model/ram/powerwagon.html

it mentioned that the videos/films were distributed by the Plymouth owners Club http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/index.htm but didn't find any in fo..

Mike

[1leglance]

I really hope someone can find a copy and preserve it digitally. I wonder with our internet age if they cool paper & film of the past will be lost forever.
Great find and please post up if you learn more.

[Colorado Ron]

Man! Id love to find that car! Id totally rerun that route with it.LOL:smiley_drive:

[DavidG]

Glad I did a search before posting a duplicate. I ran across this article a couple months ago and meant to post the link. Funny how folks can run across the story at the same time. Found a link you may be interested in:
Buy the Rough Road to Panama and Rugged Road to Cape Horn video here:
http://www.saexplorers.org/catalog/cat.php?action=ShowByType&typeID=3&typeName=Videos

[jeepmedic46]

That car is awesome. Would love to drive that.:smiley_drive:

[proto]

Ha! That's the film that inspired me to drive to Panama in a '69 Suburban almost exactly 20 years ago! My first long overland trip. (Damn this is getting to be a small planet!)

You can download a copy of "Rough Road To Panama" from the Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/details/rough_road_to_panama

I never did find an online copy of "Rugged Road To Cape Horn" -- maybe that's why I never made the trip the rest of the way. If anybody knows of an online copy, please post up.

[DavidG]

Cool, Proto. Any old pics scanned from your trip?

BTW, I just got an old (signed) copy of Richardson's book in the mail. Amazon has everything :)

[kai38]

Those photos are awesome.
http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/images/Adventsouth/campsite2.jpg

[6Pins]

I really hope someone can find a copy and preserve it digitally. I wonder with our internet age if they cool paper & film of the past will be lost forever.

If you think about it, we probably are going to loose more stuff more rapidly the faster we move away from paper and pen. Think of all the stuff you have laying around in some obsolete data format that isn't supported any more. I've got a drawer full of stuff that is on 3.5 discs that are likely gone for ever.

[Toyotero]

A friend sent me this today. 6min of the second film.

Rugged Road To Cape Horn
(http://www.jfredmacdonald.com/aifg/playaifg106_ruggedroad2capehorn.htm)http://www.jfredmacdonald.com/aifg/playaifg106_ruggedroad2capehorn.htm

[DavidG]

A friend sent me this today. 6min of the second film.

Rugged Road To Cape Horn
(http://www.jfredmacdonald.com/aifg/playaifg106_ruggedroad2capehorn.htm)http://www.jfredmacdonald.com/aifg/playaifg106_ruggedroad2capehorn.htm

Thanks! I dig this story. Check out the book if you get a chance.

[RMP&O]

I enjoyed the first movie....it was cool to see them in a few of the places I have visited in my own truck.

It also made me think how awesome it would be if the trip was still so wild. If I could only take my 1983 Nissan Patrol back in time and drive the route!

[Christian P.]

Someone has to invent a time machine so we can go back and do overlanding, the way it should be...


http://youtu.be/8btkpbl8cYA


http://youtu.be/ZeiHPlsgFbc


http://youtu.be/VO1oOSvk8Ao

[Yellowkayak]

That is just totally awsome.....what is great is its a 2WD car...I think a Packard, but could be wrong. But still 2WD, now that makes me feel good about my 2WD truck with limited slip diff! Another thing I was astonded by was .26 cents for a whole STOCK of bananas....dang if only we could back up the time of prices for today!

Thanks for finding and sharing!

JJ

[RMP&O]

Yup...that is a good vintage video. Goes to show how much more of an adventure this trip would have been back in the day.

[4x4x4doors]

That is just totally awsome.....what is great is its a 2WD car...I think a Packard, but could be wrong. But still 2WD, now that makes me feel good about my 2WD truck with limited slip diff! Another thing I was astonded by was .26 cents for a whole STOCK of bananas....dang if only we could back up the time of prices for today!

Thanks for finding and sharing!

JJ

Agreed. Excellent find. As I've posted elsewhere, a 2wd, when driven properly will astound many of us who are used to thinking that ONLY 4x4 should go a particular route.

(I think the car in the video is a 41 Plymouth.)

[Redline]

...

(I think the car in the video is a 41 Plymouth.)

I'm sure you are correct, early in part 1 they do say it's a "Plymouth sedan".

What a different time, but 70 years is a while.

[DiploStrat]

Here is a HD link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYMKVGfy8vY

And a website where you can download the whole film:

http://www.archive.org/details/rough_road_to_panama

And a previous EXPO link:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/23259-1941-the-richardson-pan-american-expedition

This seems to be a link to a full text of the trip, with photographs.

http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/adventure01.htm

[Detslider]

a 2wd, when driven properly will astound many of us who are used to thinking that ONLY 4x4 should go a particular route.


They did have a several men, bull and burros pulling them over obstacles though.
I'd bet they (the driver as well as the laboring men and animals) would have appreciated and valued 4wd at times.

I do a lot of driving in 2wd but love being able to turn the knob into 4wd and climb over an obstacle that had moments earlier stopped my forward movement.

Still a cool movie and trip.

[1leglance]

This is why I posted about the Perlinger Archives, this video and lots more are there and the vintage stuff is amazing to watch.
Tough men, tough vehicles and a completely different perspective on life.
Of course a bit of google fu and you will find some great info on the United Fruit Company

[Christian P.]

Check this page for a good sample of the vehicles that are doing this road these days:

http://www.drivetheamericas.com/roadtripper-profiles

[Christian P.]

thanks for pointing the previous thread, I had missed it. I am going to merge this one with it.

[thecriscokid]

thanks for posting. That was a great way to spend 30 minutes

[Barriga]

Awesome! No winch, snorkel, sand tracks, 4x4...

It would be fun/interesting to find a 41 Plymouth and do it now. Just for old times sake.

[Barriga]

double post

[Christian P.]

Awesome! No winch, snorkel, sand tracks, 4x4...

It would be fun/interesting to find a 41 Plymouth and do it now. Just for old times sake.

Like this one?

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2749183251.html

http://images.craigslist.org/5V65T65P33n33m33pbbcc111e51c84f3914af.jpg

[Barriga]

Like this one?

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2749183251.html

http://images.craigslist.org/5V65T65P33n33m33pbbcc111e51c84f3914af.jpg

Wanna go halfsies? Its even close to D.C.

Oh and I have a hot tip on where we can find a replacement fender somewhere down in southern Mexico.