Meet 'Lal Pari': Red beauty that stole hearts at vintage car show in Gurugram

Gurugram: It was a moment of homecoming for 'Lal Pari' - a 1950 vintage MG roadster, when it had reached the UK in October 2023, after covering nearly 13,500 km spanning 13 countries, carrying four members of a family from Ahmedabad and the spirit of India.

Daman Thakore, proud owner, who drove this car, accompanied by his wife, father and daughter, for over 70 days, on their arrival, were welcomed by the people of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, a place that for several decades was the home for Morris Garages, the over 100-year-old company that built this red beauty.

And, even 75 years after its manufacturing, the MG YT tourer continues to win hearts and charm people, as it picked an award at the 11th edition of the 21 Gun Salute Concours d'Elegance held at a sprawling golf links in Gurugram recently.

'Lal Pari', as its owners have named it, was one of the star attractions at the show, which featured about 125 vintage cars and 50 old motorcycles.

From Maharaja cars to classic beauties that once ruled the streets, it was nothing short of a pilgrimage for old automobile lovers, with 1903 De Dion Bouton, the oldest car that was on display, 1917 Ford Model T Roadster, 1935 Cadillac Fleetwood and 1948 Bentley Mark VI Drophead Coupe, originally made for a Maharani of Baroda, among other rare cars, basking on the greens.

But what caught the attention of many on the golf course in the millenium city, was the 'Lal Pari' (red fairy).

Ahmedabad-based Thakore, 49, recalls the story of his prized car and her amazing journey across the world two years ago.

"This is 'Lal Pari'. When I was three years old, this car was bought by my father for me. And, since then we have grown up with it, went to zoo, enjoyed picnic, and gone to drive-in cinemas, and even it was part of my marriage celebrations (in 2000), and my wife's 'vidai' took place in this very car, as we drove out in in this, wearing the wedding dress," he told PTI here.

Thakore said it's been an incredible journey with this, and around 10 years ago the family thought of giving a new lease of life to this MG car.

"Since, we grew up watching it and it has given us so much of joy, so we thought of doing something for it. So, we restored it as it would have been, in factory condition. Then, a thought came that if we have made it back to factory condition, why shouldn't we take it back to the factory where it was originally made. Then, the idea of 'India to London' car journey by road got germinated," he said.

Thakore said three generations of his family travelled in this car by road continuously from the UAE to the UK.

"It started from Ahmedabad, our home, we drove down to Mumbai. From Mumbai, it was shipped to Dubai, because we couldn't go through Pakistan. From Dubai, it was Iran, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, then up there in Croatia, Italy and then Switzerland, France and finally, we reached the UK," he recalled.

While 'Lal Pari' had a support vehicle tailing it throughout the journey, the sheer range of temperatures, terrains, and landscapes it sped through, had its fair share of challenges.

"If you talk of temperatures, when we were in Iran or Dubai, it was 45 degrees Celsius, and when we were in England or France, it was raining and temperature was 8 degrees Celsius. So, we took it in our stride," he said. There were a lot of technical challenges too, the car's axel broke in Croatia because it was a steep gradient to climb, and at that time, Thakore said, he did some improvisation by asking his uncle on a telephone call.

"We used to suffer many breakdowns, but local residents would come and help us, it felt very good," the Ahmedabad resident said.

However, the biggest challenge of the journey, he said, was believing that they would be able to do it.

"Since no one had done this before. So, we were thinking, would we be able to do it? And, since it was self-funded...once we made up our mind, whatever physical challenges that came up, we enjoyed it," he said with a hint of nostalgia.

Thakore said this 'Lal Pari' is such a beauty that it delights people across ages and regions, and both men and women like it. And she connects people, and that was "our aim, to connect people".

"When they used to see the GRA 9111 (Gujarat) number on the plate on a British-made car, it used to attract people," he said.

During the show, the Ahmedabad native also displayed one of the bricks that were salvaged from a building of the factory of MG in Abingdon.

"I was given this brick as a memento, and it has a number on it too, as only some bricks were saved after the building was demolished," he said.

Asked who was the original owner, Thakore said, it was made in 1950 but "we don't know the original owner".

"Our family bought it in 1979 from Mumbai, and it had a Bombay number then which was then changed," he recalled.

The car also has a special hood monogram -- the 'Iron Man of India' flanked symbolically by the flags of India and the UK, made of sterling silver.

"We wanted this journey to be about the shared history of India and England. So, we thought of, why not mount a 'Sardar Patel' on a British car and take him around the world, symbolically, to spread the message of unity," he said.