The Himalaya Classic Car Rally 2006, from Islamabad to Kolkata via Kathmandu, is expected to reach Kolkata on April 10, 2006, Sujata Paul Maliah, president of the Kolkata co-ordination committee of the Himalaya Classic Rally, said today.The event has been designed to be a driving adventure for classic cars and the route undertaken would take participants to a number of places still untouched by commercialisation, according to the organisers.The event is being organised by ROARR, or the Rhythm Of A Road Rallies, based in the United Kingdom.The rally was flagged off by G G Jamal, Pakistan's minister for tourism, on March 15 and entered India through the Wagah border on March 21.The rally includes 18 vintage cars dating between 1936 and 1939, and classic cars built between 1940 and 1970. The brands represented include Bentley, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Vauxhall, Austin, Ford, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. The cars had been shipped to Islamabad from London for the month-long rally. The participants hailed from the UK, the USA, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Germany, Korea and India. Of the four Indian participants, three were from Kolkata - Uday Bhan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Adhiraj Singh - all driving Willys jeeps.The Indian participants joined the rally at the Wagah border. The participants would visit Shimla, Mussoorie, Royal Bardia Park, Lumbini, Kathmandu, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Siliguri, Maldah, and Krishnanagar before finally reaching Kolkata on April 10.At pesent, the team had covered the Indian territory in the north and was driving through Nepal, to reenter India in West Bengal. At Kolkata, a grand finale would being organised at the Oberoi Grand where the participants and rally would reach its final destination. A select number of vintage cars based in Kolkata would be present at the occasion as well. Maliah said the event would be a visual treat, and would provide an opportunity to see around 40 vintage and classic cars from all over the world in prime, drivable condition.
