Ahmedabad: In celebration of his 50th year of life, Daman Thakore, a businessman and a travel enthusiast from the city, is embarking on a unique journey with his vintage 1950 MG YT called Lal Pari, a car he dearly loves.

Daman will travel from Ahmedabad to the Abingdon factory in London that manufactured this car, accompanied by his 75-year-old father, 21-year-old daughter, and a group of friends and family. This adventurous journey will cover around 12,000 km through 16 countries.

As a business owner dealing with earth-moving equipment, Daman plans to commence the trip this week. This journey holds special significance for him, as it is not only an adventurous expedition but also a heartfelt homage to his parents, who nurtured his love for exploration through their long car trips during the Diwali holidays.

The journey of Lal Pari and its proud owner will start from Ahmedabad and proceed to Mumbai, with a visit to the Statue of Unity. From Mumbai, the vintage car, along with its support vehicle, will be ferried to Dubai, marking the beginning of the international leg of the road trip. The car will then be transported to Iran and then it will move towards its final destination, London, passing through countries such as Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Germany, and several others. The car will be shipped to UAE and from there to Iran in order to avoid Pakistan.

The family has packed an induction stove along with lots of ready-to-eat meals for the trip, planning to enjoy delicacies such as Pav Bhaji, Handvo, Pulav, and Parathe, among others.

Even though this trip is commencing this week, the Thakore family started preparations way back in 2008-09. The car underwent a complete restoration in 2017-18, after which the family took trips to Jaipur, Kutch, Mysore, and other places to check the efficiency of this vintage four-wheeler.

Despite Lal Pari’s top speed being 60 kmph, they will cruise at a leisurely 35 kmph, dedicated to reliving all the adventures shared with his parents. The rough estimate is to travel 250 kms per day.

In order to ensure the roadworthiness of the car, it was taken to distanced domestic destinations.

The 73-year-old roadster will be accompanied by a support caravan, a Tata Winger mini bus, expertly piloted by vintage car enthusiast Mukesh Bararia and photographer Vinay Panjwani. A minibus will carry tents, spare parts, food stock and other items. DeshGujarat