Mohd Daud’s epic 20-country adventure in a 1968 Mercedes

Free Malaysia Today

Travelling 24,000km in a 56-year-old Mercedes, 65-year Mohd Daud Kassim proves that retirement is more than just about relaxing at home.   Story by: Dinesh Kumar Maganathan  Shot by: Fauzi Yunus  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Andrea Edmonds   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/01/04/mohd-dauds-epic-20-country-adventure-in-a-1968-mercedes/    Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #MercedesBenz #1968 #24000km #20CountriesIn80Days

Transcript

00:00Snow fell relentlessly in Bosnia, causing chaos at night.

00:05Mohamad Dawood Qasim, behind the wheel of his 1968 Mercedes W114,

00:11faced an unexpected trial.

00:14A sudden snowstorm that left his trusty car stuck on the icy roads.

00:20We were fortunate because there was a group of locals,

00:23about four or five of them, came over.

00:25They stopped and helped us.

00:27Through gestures and smiles, these strangers worked alongside Dawood and his friends,

00:32lifting the car out of the snow and fixing the snow chains.

00:36An act of kindness had transformed this nightmare into an unforgettable moment of gratitude.

00:42Yeah, I think most of the people I met along the way, they're nice people.

00:47They're very friendly, very helpful.

00:50So the world is actually a nice place.

00:58For the grandfather of four, the snowstorm wasn't only a setback,

01:02it was a reminder of why he embarked on this 24,000-kilometre journey

01:07across 20 countries in 80 days.

01:11Oh, it's a kind of satisfaction.

01:15It's a bit difficult to express, but it's a kind of relief.

01:20Something that you have been holding on and trying to do,

01:23and then once you achieve it, it's just a bit of relief.

01:26I'm very happy that we have done this.

01:29We managed to do it at this age.

01:32From snowy mountains to bustling cities,

01:35Dawood immersed himself in the cultures and lives of the people he encountered.

01:40Starting in Malaysia on September 15th,

01:43Dawood's overland adventure took him through Thailand, China, Kazakhstan,

01:49Albania, Germany and France to name a few before concluding on December 3rd.

01:55So I was imagining I and my car parked in front of the stadium,

02:02for example, what they call the Olympics, the first Olympic stadium in Athens.

02:09And then, of course, Eiffel Tower.

02:13I was imagining myself, wow, I got my car parked in front of there.

02:16There's something I wanted to do.

02:20Growing up in Segamat Johor, Dawood was inspired by his late uncle,

02:24a classic car enthusiast who competed in the legendary London-Sydney Marathon.

02:30His uncle's exciting tales and car collection ignited Dawood's own passion for adventure.

02:36Decades later, after raising a family and founding SwitchTech Power Systems,

02:41Dawood found the perfect time to make his dream a reality.

02:45It took four years of meticulous planning with like-minded friends

02:50and poring over countless maps together.

02:53But even the best-laid plans go astray.

02:56In Laos, border officials denied the group entry, forcing a reroute.

03:02At the Kazakhstan-Russia border, invalid visas left the men stranded.

03:21For Dawood, this can-do mindset reflects his broader outlook on life, including retirement.

03:32Whatever you want to do when you're young, your dreams or whatever, that is a good time.

03:37Just go for it, do it.

03:39With one epic journey completed, Dawood is already thinking ahead.

03:43Whether it's another overland adventure or simply enjoying life with his family,

03:48one thing is certain, his adventurous spirit is far from retiring.

03:54Tibia Ragu and Dinesh Kumar Maganadan, FMT Lifestyle.

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