One hundred years ago, an adventurer ahead of her times broke the mold to redefine what was possible for explorers. Between 1922 and 1927, Aloha Wanderwell became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car, on a journey that took her through 43 countries. Partially sponsored by Ford Motor Company, she broke the record in a Ford Model T, the car that put the world on wheels.
Coinciding with the launch of the new Explorer, the latest electric model to join the emission-free family of the blue oval firm, Ford has joined forces with adventure travel influencer Lexie Alford -known to many as Lexie Limitless-, to continue Wanderwell’s legacy of redefining exploration with an ambitious round-the-world tour behind the wheel of the new all-electric Explorer.
The expedition, which will begin at the end of this year, will take Lexie all over the planet, facing challenges, meeting people from different cultures and visiting places of extraordinary beauty; all this with the help of the zero-emission Ford Explorer. The Dearborn manufacturer has trusted Alford, the youngest person in history to visit every country in the world, because he leads the way for a new generation of explorers with indefatigable curiosity, and moved by the same rebellion as Wanderwell.
“We are excited to see what our new Explorer and Lexie Alford can do together on this expedition inspired by the revolutionary journey of Aloha Wanderwell,” said Martin Sander, Ford Model e Europe general manager during the project launch. “We were part of the Aloha journey just over a century ago, and we’ve been helping people embark on ambitious adventures ever since; We can’t wait to see how our electric future will maintain that fearless spirit.”
Just as Ford supported Wanderwell in the 1920s, the automaker will now partner with Lexie Alford on this 21st century journey to celebrate the modern explorer with a passion for sustainable travel, and also to demonstrate what is possible. aboard an electric vehicle.
“The story of Aloha Wanderwell is inspiring in so many ways, and not just for breaking barriers for female explorers. I’m looking forward to paying homage to her story on this incredible journey, and helping to retell the life of a truly inspiring female explorer,” it said. about it Lexie Alford (known by her Instagram account @lexielimitless).
Aloha Wanderwell was an explorer, filmmaker, wife, and mother. She began her journey around the world at the age of sixteen, visiting places no Western man or woman had ever seen before. The intrepid journey of this adventurer began in Nice (France) and ended in the port of Kilindini (Mombasa).
Throughout the trip he had to adapt to difficult circumstances and face major remnants. Improvisation and the scarcity of resources was a constant in his journey, in which he resorted to the few means available at the time, such as kerosene as a substitute for gasoline or the use of crushed bananas as grease for the moving parts of vehicles. .
