Kusukela ezinsukwini zokuqala zemoto, abanesibindi baye bazama ukunqoba i-Antarctica ngamasondo amane. Umzamo wokuqala uhlehlela emuva ku-1907, kodwa imodeli ye-Arrol-Johnston ayizange iphumelele kule nselelo. Emashumini ambalwa eminyaka alandelayo, ezinye izimoto zazama ukuzulazula endaweni ngaphandle kwempumelelo. Kwalandela izinkinga zemishini kanti ezinye azizange zibambe.
Wehla esikebheni futhi wabamba iqhaza emjahweni owawufunwa kakhulu ngo-1964 we-BP e-Australia. Akagcinanga nje ngokubamba iqhaza embuthanweni kodwa… wawina umhlangano!
Ngakho-ke, amashumi eminyaka, noma ubani owayefuna ukuhamba e-Antarctica ngokushesha uma kuqhathaniswa, kungaba: athole imoto ebizayo yamacimbi noma acele iphakethe lezinja ukuba agibele. Ngo-December 1962 imoto yayizogqekeza ngokoqobo.
Usosayensi wase-Australia ogama lakhe linguRoy McMahon wakhethwa ukuba ahole umkhankaso we-Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE). Ngezinsiza ezilinganiselwe, uMcMahon ekugcineni uzokhetha a I-Volkswagen Beetle njengemoto esemthethweni yalolu hambo. Ezimisele ukusebenzisa imali encane ngangokunokwenzeka, wazithatha futhi waya kokwethula lo msebenzi kwaVolkswagen Australia.
U-Roy McMahon wayazi kwasekuqaleni ukuthi uma iBhungane likwazi ukuvala ngempumelelo eminye yemigudu ehlelelwe lolu hambo, kungaba indlela yokuxhumana engavamile kulo mkhiqizo, owaqala ngalowo nyaka ukukhiqiza amabhungane e-Australia. Kulula ukusho kunokwenza. AbakwaVolkswagen bacabange ukuthi lo mbono uyahlekisa futhi banikela nge-Beetle yale mishini.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu nje - futhi isigamu samakhilomitha ayishumi nambili embozwe emhlabathini wase-Australia - imoto yayisilungele ukugibela i-Nella Dan esihogweni esineqhwa sase-Antarctica.
Ukuguqulwa okwenziwe kwakuncane futhi kubalwa eminwe yesandla esisodwa: isivikelo enjini ukuze sivikeleke eqhweni; amafutha akhethekile ukuqinisekisa ukugcoba emazingeni okushisa aphansi; amaketanga amasondo amane; kanye nokudayela okusha okumbalwa kudeshibhodi. Futhi vele ukubhaliswa: Antarctica 1.
Ukuthi injini ipholile emoyeni kwenze kwaba lula ukuthi iVolkswagen Carocha ikwazi ukumelana nalezi zimo. Ngemva kwesikhashana i-Beetle encane yathola isidlaliso esithi "Incarnate Terror". Kuphela imimoya engaphezulu kuka-150 km/h iphikelele ekuphenduleni izicabha. Akukho lutho isando ebesingeke siyibuyisele endaweni.
Izinyanga zilandelana, i-Incarnate Terror yasebenza njengendlela yokuthutha abantu nezimpahla phakathi kwenkundla yezindiza kanye nesikhungo semishini. Uhambo lwamakhilomitha angu-18 oluthathe cishe imizuzu engu-50 — ukuze nje uthole umbono wobunzima obethulwe umzila. Lapho isikhathi sivuma, le Volkswagen Beetle yayisasebenzela izinjongo zokungcebeleka, idonsa abashushuluzi ezindaweni ezineqhwa.
Bhalisela iphephandaba lethu
ukubuya
Ngo-1964 i-Incarnate Terror yabuyela e-Australia. Ungalindela ukuthi imoto enenani elinjalo lomlando, iphayona futhi esebenza ohambweni lwesayensi ukuthi iye ngqo emnyuziyamu, kodwa cha… Yehla esikebheni yayoba yingxenye ye-BP Rally eyayinzima ka-1964 e-Australia. Akagcinanga nje ngokubamba iqhaza embuthanweni kodwa… wawina umhlangano! Njengoba umufi uFernando Pessa ayengathi: Futhi lena, huh?
Okwamanje, ukuthi ukuphi Ukwesaba Okusenyameni akwaziwa, isintu asisakwazi nokulandelela. Iqeqebana labathandi bobumnandi lizamile ukumthola ngo-2002 kodwa kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Abanye bathi usaphumile, kwazi bani ukuthi ubengene ziphi izigigaba...
Kwakungeyona yodwa...
Ubukhona bebhungane ezwekazini eliyiqhwa ngeke buphelele ku-Incarnate Terror. Ngaphezu kwe-Antarctica 1, kuzoba ne-Antarctica 2 kanye ne-Antarctica 3, okuthakazelisayo, ependwe ngokusawolintshi hhayi ebomvu. Eyokuqala, ethunyelwe esikhundleni se-Incarnate Terror, yayizogcina ibhuntshile, futhi ingenazo izingxenye zokuyilungisa, yayiyohlala igqitshwe eqhweni ubusika obude ngaphambi kokuba ithunyelwe e-Australia ukuze iyolungiswa.
I-Antarctica 3 iyona ezohlala isikhathi eside kunawo wonke, isebenze njengemoto esekelayo esisekelweni, isihlale lapho kusukela ngo-1966 kuya ku-1969 futhi, njengeyokuqala, yayizogcina isiqhudelana, kulokhu emqhudelwaneni we-rallycross.