After many weeks of deliberation, Team Desertaxi settled on a midnight blue 1991 Fairway Hackney Carriage that is otherwise known as a black cab or on the American side of the pond as a taxi. She is more accustomed to the well paved avenues and alleyways of London than the harsh Mongolian deserts or towns.
 
With a little help from the team at the Lenham Garage who will prepare her for the ordeal and a lot of help from the Almighty, we hope to see her tootling around the streets of Ulaanbaatar this summer. We are yet to find a meter that counts in Tugrik.
 
The old girl has 175,000 miles on the clock so what difference will another 8,000 miles make? The engine is a very reliable diesel that normally runs for 500,000 miles. When we arrive in UB, we will sell her and give the money to the Rally's charities.  

Specifications:

Manufacturer: London Taxi Industries (LTI)
Engine: 2.7 litre Nissan
Gearbox: Automatic
Turning circle: 24 feet
Colour: Midnight Blue
Year: 1991
Seats: 6 (soon to be 7)

Trivia:

In 1902 when the first motorised Hackney carriages were being introduced in England, The Public Carriage Office was so suspicious of these new fangled contraptions that they insisted that their performance in all aspects must meet or exceed a horse and carriage. This included the turning circle. As a result the taxi's turning circle of 24 feet is in fact the exact length of a horse and cart.
 
The bulging roofline of the London cab was originally designed to accommodate bowler hats.
 
80% of applicants drop out of 'The Knowledge' - the three year compulsory course to become a black cab driver.

Youtube 

Click on the link below to see Andrew Actman of Lenham Sports Cars talk about the old girl's chances

 For a short tour of our taxi click below