A standard-issue Fiat Tipo has completed an amazing journey of 41,000 kilometres-the same distance as the earth’s circumference-in 133 days. The epic road trip took in 22 countries and 122 cities, with journalist Okan Altan in the driving seat.

Prior to setting off on August 13 directly from the Tofas plant in Bursa, one of the most innovative industrial sites in the world, the Fiat Tipo did not undergo any additional technical preparations for its long round-the-world trip.

The first stages of the world tour were in Europe: from Turkey, the red four-door Tipo travelled through Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine before entering Russia. Here, the indefatigable car and driver followed the road that runs alongside the world’s most famous railway, the Trans-Siberian, travelling 11 hours a day for eight days in total, without showing any signs of flagging. The journey then continued in Japan, from where it boarded a ship bound for Mexico.

Such a remarkable adventure would not be complete without a mishap, which happened when a bureaucratic error forced Mr Altan to wait 11 days before entering the North American country.

The journey then continued with a 40-day boat trip across the 6,000-km expanse of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Mexico from the UK. After disembarking on the coast of England, the Tipo subsequently crossed 14 different European countries.

The Fiat Tipo World Tour ended with the return home of the car and its intrepid driver, whose 400 hours behind the wheel enabled him to appreciate the Tipo’s reliability and comfort on different surfaces and in the most adverse climates and weather conditions. The feat was achieved not through any specific preparation of the car, but thanks to the high standards of the Tipo project.