Gujarat man covers 11,000 kilometres in 'Lal Pari' from India to UK

An Ahmedabad-based businessman who embarked on a special unity tour in a cherished UK-made vintage car to mark 76 years of India's independence back in August has completed his mission to bring the 1950 MG YT back to its birthplace in England.

Daman Thakore, 50, accompanied by his 75-year-old father, 21-year-old daughter and a close-knit group of friends and family covered over 11,000 kilometres across 14 countries to drive up their car named “Lal Pari” to the MG factory in Abingdon, south-east England, on Tuesday.

The tour concluded on National Unity Day, celebrated in India on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, with Thakore handing over a replica of Gujarat’s Statue of Unity to a representative of King Charles III.

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"Lal Pari embarked on this journey with the motive of spreading smiles and the message of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam – One World, One Family,” said Thakore.

“A replica of the Statue of Unity travelled with us as a hood ornament made in sterling silver with the Indian and British national flag, which was handed over to Deputy Lieutenant Felicity Dick – a representative of His Majesty the King in Oxfordshire. The MG factory building there is defunct now but we wanted to make this symbolic stop on Rashtriya Ekta Divas,” he said.

The intrepid traveller said that it was the values of Sardar Patel of self-reliance and confidence that motivated “Team Lal Pari” to continue the extreme journey through the scorching heat of Dubai and Iran, the desert of Iran, a sandstorm and daunting mountainous terrain in Turkey, the canals in Venice, the Gotthard Pass in Switzerland and the serene, beautiful roads of France.

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the most influential personalities in the history of free India and a symbol of unity who integrated more than 560 princely states into the Union of India within a remarkably short span of time, was one of the motivating factors for the remarkable journey in a 73-year-old classic car from India to London," added Thakore.

The expedition was symbolically flagged off by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the government of Maharashtra, on Independence Day in August in Mumbai.

Thakore, Managing Partner at Amin Equipment which specialises in large construction equipment, says the road trip is a heartfelt homage to his parents who nurtured his love for adventure through extensive car journeys during the Diwali holidays.

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