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Journalism of Courage
A Gujarati family went on a 73-day road trip in a 73-year-old car from Ahmedabad to London, covering 10,500 kilometres. Their journey though wrapped up last year has recently gone viral on Instagram with a stunning video capture.
The caption on the post reveals that Daman Thakore and his family took their 1950s MG YT Lal Pari on an adventure, visiting 16 countries over 2.5 months. This journey of a lifetime cost them about as much as a Mercedes.
“The car was manufactured in a factory in Abingdon, UK, and we planned the trip with that as the final destination in mind. It was a sort of homecoming for her,” Thakore told Better India.
Detailing the route, Thakore shared that they had departed from Ahmedabad on August 12, with duffle bags in tow and 80 kg of food. On August 15, they took the sea route from Mumbai to Dubai, arriving on August 28. From Dubai, the family continued by road, reaching the UK on October 26.
After 11 months of meticulous planning and countless test drives around Gujarat to prepare Lal Pari, they were ready for the adventure.
Daman shared that he had a pre-arranged international licence. However, every new country charged them local road taxes and insurance fee, but nothing could deter their spirit.
In October 2023, the family proudly shared their adventure on social media, thanking everyone for their support. They called it “73 days of madness, sweat, and blood,” celebrating Lal Pari’s travel from India to the United Kingdom. This milestone made them the first Indians to pull off such an incredible feat in a vintage car.
Social media buzzed with reactions, as users reminisced about their own adventures and marvelled at the family’s boldness and grit. One user said, “1976 I drove with my parents from London to Sri Lanka, more people must enjoy such once in a life time exciting over land trips.” A second user said, “There was a Lawrence of Arabia. I know today Thakore of Ahmedabad,” while a third user commented, “That’s beautiful”.
