Henry Dutton and Murray Aunger did not reach Darwin on their first trip in 1907, in the earliest attempt to drive from Adelaide across the continent. They abandoned the car near Tennant Creek where it bogged in deep mud. They set out again the following year in a more powerful car. Aunger who was an accomplished mechanic discovered that crossing flooded rivers was best done by charging through at top speed.

At Tennant Creek they found the first car just as they had left it. It was repaired, and the two men, with policeman, Sergeant Allchurch, who had joined them in Alice Springs continued their journey, now with the luxury of two cars. They arrived in Darwin 51 days after leaving Adelaide; 42 of those days had been spent driving. The return journey to Adelaide was made by boat. Dutton and Aunger had shown that the car could cope with the rigours of outback travel, especially considering that this was before real roads had been built--they had had only the tracks of wagons or camels to follow.