Howard Anderson is seeking the 1964 Vauxhall Cresta PB which he drove 32,000km with his wife Ruth and friends from London to New Zealand, in 1969.
He sold it shortly after, but is now searching the South again in hopes of buying it back to commemorate the anniversary of the life-changing trip.
He contacted various businesses and news outlets earlier this month and managed to find Invercargill man Grant McLiskey.
Mr McLiskey said the car belonged to his neighbour's sister in Bluff in the mid-1980s.
''When she had it she had an accident in it. She sold to a guy in Invercargill who was going to rebuild it.''
Mr McLiskey was still trying to find the name of that man.
''He knew the story that went with the car, so wanted to fix it. From then, I'm not sure.''
However, there was a chance Mr McLiskey had bought it in the late 1980s. He bought a rusted Vauxhall Cresta PB in Bluff which he used for parts.
''Parts of it might still be driving around on my car.''
There was a reasonable chance that was the car as there were not many of that model in New Zealand at the time, he said.
''I'll need to keep looking for the number plates that came off that car.''
Mr Anderson, who now lives in Lower Hutt, said he would keep pursuing the mystery.
He had his eyes on a car of the same model if the search was unsuccessful.
''Although we haven't heard that it's dead yet.''
The best part of the search was the people he met, he said.
''You talk about it with people you meet, and they're often really nice, helpful people. Those sorts of things make it interesting to be searching for it.''
The group began the four-month journey in August 1969, and it took them through many countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and India.
They towed a Sprite Musketeer caravan behind them.
