After two days of driving, the 2025 Classic Himalayan Drive reached Mussoorie on Tuesday with only one of the 40 vehicles in the convoy breaking down on the way.
The journey, which started in Greater Noida and would conclude in the national capital on November 10, aims to retrace the route of the original Himalayan Car Rally which was a regular feature during the 1980s. However, it’s not a competitive race or rally, but a drive within speed limits on the tracks that the original event used to take place.
“This is a deja vu drive, but the roads are much better these days. Our convoy includes 16 classic cars from abroad, from countries such as the UK, France, Kenya and Bhutan, with a fleet of vehicles to take care of issues such as breakdowns and flat tyres,” Rajan Syal, one among the core team members behind the organisation of the Classic Himalayan Drive, told The Indian Express.
The participants enjoyed a jungle safari at Jim Corbett National Park in Ramnagar on Monday morning, and witnessed the Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh later in the day. On reaching Mussoorie on Tuesday afternoon, they had a ceremonial parade through Mall Road.
“I was a regular participant in the Himalayan Car Rally and so have a sentimental attachment to the places associated with it. It showcased the tremendous natural beauty of the region,” Syal, who participated in seven editions in the 1980s and was part of the top Indian crew three times in a row (1982-84), said.
“It was the first motoring adventure India had ever seen and went on for 10 years.”
The route provides ample opportunity for participants to indulge in adventure sports. Some of the early birds on Tuesday morning did some river rafting on the Ganga. Later in the expedition, the participants hope to make the journey from Manali to the Rohtang Pass, if there’s no danger of landslides.
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Before the trip ends at Dwarka in Delhi, the Classic Himalayan Drive is scheduled to go through Theog, Manali and Chandigarh. The event features car models from 1958 to 2022.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
