Helen Tait Wright and Marcella Kirk are looking to become the first British all-women team to race the Dakar Classic when they enter the 2026 edition. They will race a 1988 Land Rover 110 nicknamed “Purdey” under the Gazelles Offroad Team banner, while the restoration effort is aptly and alliteratively dubbed “Project Purdey”.

The Land Rover’s moniker is a nod to Joanna Lumley’s character of the same name in the 1976–77 TV series The New Avengers. Lumley, who went on to star in the hit show Absolutely Fabulous, is the team’s godmother.

Gazelles Offroad Team has competed in cross-country rallies since 2019, doing events like the all-women Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles and Rallye des Aventurières Solidaires in Morocco. Tait Wright and Kirk are best friends who usually raced a Land Rover 110 named “Priscilla” (after the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), which they have since put up for sale.

“Dakar’s always kind of been in the back of my head and I think one of my first real memories of knowing a lot about off-road rallying was years ago,” Tait Wright explained in a Project Purdey introductory video. Her first exposure to the sport was the 1982 Paris–Dakar Rally when British prime minister Margaret Thacher’s son Mark got lost in the desert, and she continued to follow the race over the years. She eventually connected with Andrew Graham, who led the first British Dakar Classic team in 2024 and encouraged her to do the same but for women.

The team acquired the Land Rover from North Wales, albeit in poor condition as it didn’t come with an engine and the chassis was rotted beyond repair. An engine was eventually installed; while newer than what the 1988 Land Rover would have used, it is permitted under Classic rules. A new chassis from Marsland and other components were secured at the 2024 LRO Show at Belvoir Castle.

Some parts on the original car like the doors and rear tub could not be used again, but replacements came in from donors and other supporters. Effort was made to ensure the new components were authentic and came from ’88 Land Rovers.

Once the rebuild was complete and Purdey was deemed road legal, the team was ready for action. In late April, Purdey raced the Land Rover-only Santana Trophy in Morocco and finished fifth in class.

Tait Wright and Kirk eventually entered the Rally Dames de Coeurs with their Land Rover Defender 90 “Delilah”, though they retired due to a fuel leak.

Their Dakar entry will support the WONDER Foundation, a UK-based charity focused on providing opportunities for women and girls like quality education and helping communities met UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“By participating in the rally we not only want to fly the British flag, but we want to serve as inspiration for women and girls, showing that they are capable of competing in a sport traditionally dominated by men,” reads the introductory post of their GoFundMe.

Their fundraiser can be accessed here.

Featured image credit: Gazelles Offroad Team