Crossword Genius

Old traveller in company car with damage in front (5,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

marco polo

'old traveller' is the definition.
(13th-century explorer)

'company car with damage in front' is the wordplay.
'company' becomes 'co' (abbreviation).
'car with' becomes 'polo' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'damage' becomes 'mar' (to mar is to spoil or damage).
'in front' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'co'+'polo'='copolo'
'copolo' after 'mar' is 'MARCO POLO'.

'in' is the link.

(Other definitions for marco polo that I've seen before include "13th-century Venetian traveller" , "Merchant of Venice" , "sheep" , "Historic trader" , "Italian traveller" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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