73 days, 14 countries, 13,500 kilometres: Daman Thakore and his family’s Ahmedabad-London expedition in their vintage car, Lal Pari

(Jul 12, 2026) Covering 13,500 kilometres across 14 countries in 73 days, Ahmedabad-based adventurer Daman Thakore and three generations of his family became the first Indians to drive a 1950 vintage car from India to the UK. More than a historic journey, it carried India’s message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One World One Family), culminated in the presentation of a bespoke Sardar Patel silver hood ornament to King Charles III, and earned a personal letter of appreciation from the British monarch.

For centuries, explorers, traders and adventurers travelled from Europe to India over land. From the Silk Route to the colonial era, the road eastwards captured the imagination of the West. Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur Daman Thakore wanted Indians to tell a story of their own.

“I wondered, why shouldn’t we Indians drive back?” remarks Daman in an interview with The Global Indian. “We wanted to symbolise the emergence of Indian soft power. Historically also, Westerners came to India through the land route, and few vintage car expeditions were always undertaken by them.”

Daman Thakore and his family with Lal Pari, somewhere in the midst of their Ahmedabad – UK expedition

Being a proud Indian, I was quite perturbed that such expeditions had only been done by Westerners. But now this is a new India. We give back. This was our little attempt to show the world that we can also do it, and perhaps do it even better. It was three generations of one family reaching out to one world.

Daman Thakore

In August 2023, the Thakore family set off in their cherished 1950 MG YT Tourer, affectionately called Lal Pari (Red Angel), on a 13,500-kilometre drive through 14 countries to Abingdon in England, where the car had been built more than seven decades earlier. The feat made them the first Indians to drive a 1950 vintage car overland from India to the UK.

The route covered by Daman Thakore and his family in their Ahmedabad to UK expedition

Adventure runs in the family

The journey reflected a lifetime of exploration. After completing his MBA at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona, Daman taught tennis in Canada for five years, worked in the United States for two years, before returning back to India in 2000. Over the years, he has travelled through out India and more than 35 countries, hiking, motorcycling and driving to understand different cultures and people. “Even our honeymoon was of 45 days and we drove from Ahmedabad to Kanyakumari and everything in between” says Daman

Daman Thakore is based in Ahmedabad, where the family runs a dealership for JCB construction equipment in Gujarat. Adventure, however, runs in the family. “My parents have travelled and done more adventure trips than I have,” Daman smiles.

His father, Deval Thakore, now 78, has skydived in California, climbed trees in Brazil and travelled to Antarctica, making the India-to-UK expedition just another chapter in a family tradition of embracing the extraordinary.

The drive brought together three generations—Deval, Daman, his wife Udita Thakore, who works in the family business, and daughter Devanshi Thakore, an International Relations graduate.

Team Lal Pari

They were joined by close friend and prominent documentary and architectural photographer Vinay Panjwani, who documented the entire journey; Daman’s uncle, who had painstakingly helped restore Lal Pari over the years; and another friend, who drove the support vehicle. Together, the seven-member team travelled in two vehicles throughout the expedition, Lal Pari and the support vehicle which they affectionately called ‘Lal Pari Ki Saheli.’

“We only have 19,000 photos and 14 terabytes of film!” Daman smiles, referring to the sheer volume of memories they brought back from the expedition.

The family member called Lal Pari

Lal Pari has been part of the Thakore family for almost five decades. Deval bought the 1950 MG YT Tourer when Daman was just three years old, and the vintage convertible soon became woven into the family’s memories.

It has given so much joy to our family. We thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to drive her back to her birthplace and spread that joy along the way?

Daman Thakore

The Thakores also own an enviable collection of classic vehicles, including a 1932 Chevrolet Phaeton, a 1947 Buick Super, a 1949 Fiat Topolino, a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle and a 1942 BSA M20 motorcycle. Yet Lal Pari occupies a special place in their hearts.

“Lal Pari brings a lot of joy to people wherever it goes,” says Daman.

Family photo with Lal Pari when Daman Thakore was 10

Carrying India’s message to the world

Daman wanted Lal Pari to carry a distinctly Indian identity. He commissioned renowned Bengaluru jewellers C. Krishniah Chetty, a 150-year-old heritage jeweller to the Maharajas of Mysore, to create a bespoke sterling silver hood ornament inspired by the Statue of Unity honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The design also incorporated the flags of India and the United Kingdom. “In today’s world of conflict and divisions, who better than Sardar Patel could represent India?” he says.

Like the Spirit of Ecstasy on a Rolls-Royce, the hood ornament became Lal Pari’s defining symbol throughout the expedition.

“It was our way of showing the world that now there is an Indian on a British car,” says Daman. “Like the ancient Ashwamedha Yagna, where a ceremonial horse symbolised a kingdom reaching beyond its borders, this journey in “Lal Pari” was our way of reaching out to the world through friendship and goodwill.”

Hood Ornament of Sardar Patel

Every challenge became an opportunity

On paper, the route appeared straightforward. In reality, driving a 73-year-old convertible across deserts, mountains and international borders demanded resilience as much as planning.

“We undertook the journey knowing fully well what challenges we were going to face,” Daman says. “We wanted to overcome them because that was what we were seeking.”

The family crossed India, the UAE, Iran, Turkey and several European nations before finally reaching Abingdon.

Lal Pari, however, remained true to her character. “Our constant memory of her over the last 40 years has been that she would stall somewhere and we would have to push her,” Daman laughs. “Even on the day we were flagged off, we had what I call a ‘dhakka flag-off’.” The car had to be push-started before the journey could begin.”

Mechanical troubles became regular companions. There were clutch and wiring issues in the UAE, fuel and carburation problems in Iran, brake failure in Turkey, and engine valve and power-loss issues in Switzerland and the UK. Then there was the ever-present oil leak.

“We marked our territory wherever we went,” Daman jokes. “The engine kept leaking oil, and we kept topping it up.”

Flagging off of Lal Pari’s Ahmedabad – UK expedition

When every setback created a new friendship

The weather proved equally unforgiving. Temperatures in the UAE and Iran touched 45°C, while road surfaces exceeded 55°C. Dust storms swept across Iran, only to be replaced by temperatures of around 8°C and relentless rain in Turkey and Europe—all experienced in an open-top convertible.

Logistics brought another layer of complexity. Every country required separate visas with fixed dates, leaving little room for delays. Shipping arrangements, customs clearances, temporary import permits, insurance, accommodation and border formalities for seven people and two vehicles became a daily exercise in planning.

“Shipping, customs clearances and border crossings for two vehicles, along with all of us, were a continuous challenge.”

Yet every setback also opened the door to new friendships. “Each challenge brought us closer to the local community,” Daman says. “What began as our problem soon became theirs.”

Mechanics, customs officials, translators and complete strangers stepped forward to help, reinforcing the family’s belief that kindness knows no borders.

One vintage car, thousands of conversations

Wherever Lal Pari travelled, she drew attention. Children waved excitedly, families stopped for photographs, and vintage car enthusiasts travelled long distances simply to meet the Indian family driving a British classic back to its birthplace.

During the expedition, the Thakores directly connected with over 50,000 people while their story reached millions more through more than 100 newspaper articles, television and radio interviews, and 11.2 million social media views.

Along the route, they also met Indian ambassadors, governors, tourism ministers, lords in the UK and other dignitaries. Among the most memorable was India’s Ambassador to Iran, R. G. Shrestha, who observed that the expedition “is not just a fun adventure activity but important for the relations between our countries.”

For Daman, these encounters became one of the most rewarding aspects of the journey. “We experienced the love people have for India at every location around the world.”

Women in Italy with Lal Pari

Stories that made the journey unforgettable

The miles were memorable, but it was the people who gave the expedition its soul. Some encounters were so unexpected that they remain etched in the family’s memory.

In Iran, the Thakores met a remarkable 94-year-old traveller who had ridden a motorcycle through 95 countries in 1953. Without prompting, he sang India’s national anthem from memory on his own.

“It was one of those surreal moments,” Daman recalls. In a remote corner of Albania, they met a woman who described India as her second mother. She was learning Sanskrit and studying the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, inspired by Indian philosophy despite living thousands of kilometres away.

At a Croatian border crossing, an Indian-origin customs officer welcomed them with a warm, “Kaise ho?” Moments like these reaffirmed the purpose behind the expedition.

We experienced first-hand the immense love people all over the world have for Bharat. Conversations frequently turned to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, reflecting the country’s growing cultural footprint across continents.

Daman Thakore

Completing Lal Pari’s journey and a message of friendship

After 73 days on the road, Lal Pari rolled into Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the town where the MG YT Tourer had been built more than seven decades earlier. “It was an emotional moment,” says Daman. “We had always wanted to take her back to her birthplace.”

For the family, the journey had come full circle. The British classic that had spent decades creating memories in an Indian household had returned home carrying a distinctly Indian identity.

Mounted on its bonnet throughout the expedition was the bespoke sterling silver hood ornament inspired by the Statue of Unity, incorporating the flags of India and the United Kingdom.

On 31 October 2023, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Thakores presented the hood ornament to King Charles III through his Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Felicity Dick, as a token of history and friendship from the people of India to the people of the United Kingdom.

“It was a token of our history and relations from the people of India to the people of the UK,” says Daman.

The gesture was warmly acknowledged by King Charles III, who later sent the family a personal letter appreciating both the gift and the sentiment behind it.

For Daman, it remains one of the proudest moments of the journey.

Lal Pari in Iran

Dreaming beyond the finish line

Despite completing one of the country’s most remarkable vintage motoring journeys, Daman does not see the expedition as an ending.

When the family set out, they believed it would be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. But meeting a 94-year-old globetrotter in Iran, who had travelled through 95 countries in 1953 expanded their horizons.

“We are now dreaming of more countries for sure.,” says Daman, mentioning that the Pan-American Highway is one possibility.

A keepsake before the full story

Daman has come up with a Lal Pari booklet produced in a limited edition of around 100 copies exclusively for dignitaries, it is a commemorative keepsake featuring photographs and messages from ambassadors, governors, public officials and other distinguished personalities the family met during the journey.

“The full story is yet to be written,” Daman says.

Lal Pari at its home in Abingdon, UK

A journey inspired by India’s soft power

For Daman, the expedition was about showing that an Indian family can undertake such a journey with determination, humility and goodwill, while taking India’s message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One World, One family).

The Thakores invested their own time and resources into the expedition, stepping away from work for nearly three months. Looking back, however, he measures the journey not by the money spent or the kilometres covered, but by the friendships it created and the warmth they encountered across continents.

Daman Thakore handing the statue of Unity to Mrs Felicity Dick, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of King Charles III

Awards and recognition

“The journey generated more than 100 newspaper and magazine features, television and radio interviews across multiple countries, over 11.2 million social media views reflecting the widespread interest the expedition attracted in India and abroad,” shares Daman Thakore. While the India-to-UK expedition attracted international recognition, Lal Pari and the Thakore family’s long association with the vintage MG have also been honoured through several prestigious awards and recognitions. These include:

● 2019: Lal Pari won Best of MG Class at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance, New Delhi.

● 2024: Daman Thakore was nominated in the Personal Achievement category at the International Historic Motoring Awards, regarded as the “Oscars” of the vintage motoring world, for the India-to-UK expedition.

● 2024: Lal Pari received the Doubtfire Car of the Year Award from the MG Car Club.

● 2024: The expedition and Lal Pari were honoured with the Founder’s Trophy from the MG Octagon Car Club.

● 2024: The family was presented with Brick No. 226 of 500, preserved from the original MG factory at Abingdon, as a commemorative honour.

● 2025: Lal Pari again won Best of MG Class at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance.

The Thakore’s were presented Brick No. 226 of 500, preserved from the original MG factory at Abingdon, as a commemorative honour

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