Dart 51, the oldest working Land Rover in Mountain Rescue England and Wales, is set to be retired next month at a farewell event on Dartmoor.

The North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (NDSART), which owns the vehicle, affectionately known as Ada after her benefactor, will say goodbye to the Land Rover on December 7, when she will lead a convoy from Rowtor car park to the summit of Yes Tor.

The convoy, which will include Dart 71, Ada’s replacement; Dart 61, the team’s other operational Land Rover; and members of Devon and Cornwall 4x4 Response, will travel the old army tracks up to the top of the tor where Ada’s call sign will be transferred to the new vehicle.

At 32 years old, Ada is no longer a reliable operational vehicle, so the mountain rescue team took the hard decision to retire her. She will have her blue lens and livery removed and the NDSART then plan to sell her at auction as a regular Land Rover.

A spokesperson for NDSART said: “Ada is a unique piece of history, having always been part of a Mountain Rescue Team, and as one of the oldest operational Land Rovers in Mountain Rescue England and Wales, it will be a sad day to see her retired at the end of a long, successful service of 32 years."

Ada began her life in the Lake District with the Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue team. In 2008, she was sold to the NDSART where she has spent the rest of her working life.

During her time with the NDSART, she has assisted at multiple Ten Tors events and was instrumental in coordinating civilian evacuations following the discovery of World War II unexploded bombs in Exeter and Plymouth. She also supported evacuations and welfare checks during the Beast from the East storm in 2018, and has been deployed on hundreds of callouts in her lifetime.