They left England in a funny little car 25,000 miles ago. Latest stop: Tacoma

If this weekend you spot an odd looking little red car crammed to the roof with people and possessions, give it a friendly wave.

Chang Luo, wife Jie Ding, both 38, and their 4-year-old daughter Yuding, are coming through the South Sound on their way from the Arctic Circle to the bottom of South America.

It’s just one leg of a two-year, around-the-world journey in their 1985 Citroen 2CV.

What drives their wanderlust?

“I have been asked a similar question many, many times, but I haven’t figured out the answer yet,” Luo said Thursday while enjoying the view at Chambers Bay in University Place.

“It makes us happy,” Ding offered.

The family, Chinese citizens and residents of the United Kingdom, started their journey in April from Kent, England.

From there, they drove through Croatia, wheeled their way to Finland and road tripped across Russia. Turning south, the trio drove through Mongolia and into China.

They had a family reunion in their hometown of Guiyang in July. Trip odometer at that point: 8,500 miles.

A PASSION TO DRIVE

Luo and Ding moved from China to England in 2012.

They drove, of course. This is a family who likes road trips. And cars.

Luo is an automotive electronics engineer. He designs the latest in engine control modules.

“But there is no relationship between my profession and this car,” he said. “This one has no engine control modules.”

Luo bought the Citroen on eBay in 2014 after bidding 2,066 British pounds (about $3,200). Six is an auspicious number in Chinese culture, he explained.

He soon discovered the car’s undercarriage was rusting out. He rebuilt it, refurbished the engine and gave it a new paint job.

“We love this car,” Luo said. “It’s very charming.”

The CV model was produced from the late 1940s to 1990 and is beloved by long-distance road trippers the world over, said Dave Cherrick, a member of the Northwest Citroen Owners Club.

Cherrick and his wife Scherry are hosting the world travelers for a few days.

“We’ve been following their journey through Alaska,” he said.

Luo’s and Ding’s Citroen has its steering wheel on the right side and gets 36 miles to the gallon.

“It’s reliable,” Cherrick said. “The common man can take apart the engine and put it back together.”

Its top speed is 70 miles per hour.

“With no headwind and flat,” Cherrick said.

ON THE ROAD

After leaving Guiyang, Luo and Ding drove 1,100 miles to Shenzhen, a port city adjacent to Hong Kong, and shipped the car to Vancouver, British Columbia, in October.

Originally, they planned to ship the car to the United States.

“We found out it’s more hassle shipping a car into the U.S.A. or Alaska than to Vancouver,” Luo said.

After they reunited with their car in Canada they drove north to Alaska and then back into Canada.

In early December, they reached the northern most point a vehicle can reach in Canada: the town of Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories. Locals call it Tuk.

The dead of winter might not be the best time to drive to the Arctic, but when you’re on an around-the-world trip, the itinerary owns you.

Temperatures were 30 degrees below zero in the far north and Luo had to hand crank the car’s engine on occasion.

They entered the United State (their 22nd country so far) earlier this week in Idaho and arrived in Tacoma on Wednesday.

Distance from Tuk to Tac: 2,441 miles.

The couple are expert packers. Their car is crammed with clothes, spare parts and a harmonica Yuding plays on request. Or when not requested.

The car has been mostly trouble-free. The trip has been mostly mishap-free.

But there was that one time, stuck in the sand of the Mongolian desert.

“We dug and dug and dug,” Luo said. “That didn’t work.”

Eventually, they rescued themselves with skillful driving and lots of pushing.

Mongolia has been a highlight of the trip so far, the couple said. They drank tea with Kazahk herdsmen in Ulaangom and Luo took some language lessons on the grassy steppe in Harhorin.

Next up on their trip: Utah and Pikes Peak in Colorado. Then, Mexico, Central America and finally Argentina.

They hope to ship the car to Australia and New Zealand after that.

They have only two years to drive around the world.

The clock is ticking.

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 8:00 AM with the headline "They left England in a funny little car 25,000 miles ago. Latest stop: Tacoma."