Oh, Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done! The ship has weather’d every rack. The prize we sought is won. – Walt Whitman
This first line and title of Walt Whitman’s elegy for Abraham Lincoln and made even more famous by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society numerous decades later, sweep through your mind when you chat to Monty Montgomery about his 2008 Jimny, lovingly called Kaptein.
“This Jimny and I have come a long way – this is the second Jimny sold in Africa in 2008, and since then, we have travelled all over Southern Africa,” says Monty. As a platform to interact with fellow Suzuki enthusiasts, Monty started the Suzuki Auto Club South Africa and, from there, the first company manufacturing Suzuki protection gear was born.
Kaptein has undoubtedly changed over the years, with front and rear diff locks added, while the 1.3-litre engine was upgraded to a 1.8-litre Suzuki engine. As the Montgomery family ventured out into the wild west that is Africa, they added front and rear bumpers, rock sliders, a steering damper and underbody protection plates, all from the Wild4x4 stable. Fitted with an 80mm suspension and “air helpers”, there is no stopping Kaptein from conquering the worst of obstacles. To keep the missus happy, the interior was changed to accommodate overlanding adventures, with everything from a water tank and fridge, to a solar panel and a laptop for navigation.
Citing Namaqualand in spring to witness the world’s most impressive natural flower show as his bucket list local trip, Monty also dreams of taking Kaptein to Malawi and the Okavanga Delta. “But for us, it is all about the journey and not the destination – and with Kaptein, we will take on any challenge,” concludes Monty.
VEHICLE DETAILS: Suzuki Jimny 2008
OWNER DETAILS: Monty Montgomery – Owner of Wild4x4 and co-founder of the Suzuki Auto Club South Africa
