THE GRIZZLY TORQUE

In the 1950s, two young Canadian men embarked on a 14-month journey across the world. It was the brainchild of Bristol Foster, biologist and ecologist, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone. So he asked his friend Robert Bateman, artist and naturalist, to join him. The two mapped out their journey, but needed a vehicle to overcome the challenging terrains found in the most remote parts of the world.

The custom-built Land Rover Series I, nicknamed the Grizzly Torque, was delivered at the Land Rover plant in Solihull, England. Bristol headed out to England early for a test drive, and Robert met him there later to begin their adventure.

Over the next 14 months, Bristol and Robert traveled the world—visiting 19 countries on 4 continents—painting, filming and photographing people and wildlife, collecting specimens and exploring.

Upon their return to Canada, the Grizzly Torque was sold and never to be seen again—or so they thought. The unique ambulance-bodied vehicle was recently discovered in British Columbia, and after learning about the history behind it, its new owner embarked on an extensive restoration project to bring it back to its former glory.

From the beach, jungle, bush, desert and mountains to the mud, sand and snow, as the first brand of true all-terrain vehicles, Land Rover has always stood for capability and adventure. Go anywhere, whenever, whatever the weather, however steep the incline. In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Land Rover, we are pleased to share with you a story of two of Canada’s most renowned adventurers: Bristol Foster and Robert Bateman.