The Quiet Achiever

In December 1982, the car, driven by Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins,[3] performed the first manned transcontinental journey using only solar power, traversing Australia from west to east.

He and Larry Perkins were inspired by the Sunmobile, a solar-powered miniature car built by General Motors which was publicly demonstrated in Chicago, United States, in 1955.

The trek went through Southern Cross near Perth before passing through Coolgardie, Norseman, Cocklebiddy, Eucla, Ceduna, Port Augusta, Peterborough, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Narromine, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Katoomba, eventually ending at the Sydney Opera House.

[3] In addition, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) monitored the Quiet Achiever throughout its journey to ensure that only solar energy was used to power the vehicle.

[3] The success of the Quiet Achiever's trek led Tholstrup to found the annual World Solar Challenge, a solar-powered racing contest, in Australia in 1987.

The Quiet Achiever solar car during its 1982-3 transcontinental journey.
The Quiet Achiever under construction.
The Quiet Achiever team working on the car's photovoltaic array.