THE AUTOMOBILE ASSEMBLAGE – December 2015

EVER WONDERED HOW BEAUTIFUL THE VINTAGE CARS LOOK WHILE THEY LEISURELY RIDE ALONG ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. OR HOW PERFECTLY PLACED THE ROYAL ENFIELD’S LOOK IN CLUSTERS WHILE THEY ZOOM PAST ON A HIGHWAY. EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO, A CAR CLUB OR A MOTORCYCLE COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE HAPPENING OF A BIKE OR CAR RALLY. HUNDREDS OF ENTHUSIASTS GATHER AT THE GIVEN HOUR AND CRUISE ACROSS TOWN OR BETWEEN TOWNS WITH THEIR FELLOW RIDERS

Rallying itself can be traced back to the 1894 Paris–Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition. There are literally hundreds of rallies that you can enter around the world, many with unique qualifications and/or rules. Some take place on closed courses, others on the open road. Some involve foot-to-the-floor speed, while others reward much slower and precise time-to-distance driving. Apart from the normal car and bike rallies that are witnessed the world over, there are some that will completely take you by surprise. Some of India’s most fascinating rallies are:

GREAT ARC
The month-long Great Arc Vintage Car Rally sets off from Kochi, in the southern tip of India, and travels across 10 states and 3,106 miles to Missouri in the Himalayas. The route follows in the footsteps of the 19th century Great Arc Survey by William Lambton, a project intended to map a line from north to south India that would reveal the curvature of the earth and begin the task of accurately mapping the subcontinent.

BLIND MAN CAR RALLY
India is clearly the home of unusual road races; this one has more than 70 blind drivers being directed around the streets of Mumbai by partially sighted navigators reading Braille maps. The 40-mile race is used to highlight the various issues affecting the blind and visually impaired in the country.

INDIA/ASEAN CAR RALLY
The India-ASEAN Car Rally is conceptualized with the aim to strengthen India’s relations with the South- Asian countries. The rally aims to promote trade and tourism between India and ASEAN. The first India- ASEAN Car Rally was acknowledged by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh from Guwahati. The rally witnessed 250 participants from India as well as South-Asian countries in 60 vehicles and rallied across Assam, Nagaland and Manipur before entering Myanmar.

WOMEN CAR RALLY BY NGO
The Women Car Rally was organized by an NGO called Uthaan in partnership with Ibis, Power Grid, Indian Oil, Radio Mirchi, Desert Trails and Avenues Travel Services. This rally was an initiative of the NGO to create and spread awareness n social segment. Women Car Rally was considered as one of the National Record Creating Events.

UTHAAN
The Women Car Rally was organized by an NGO called Uthaan in partnership with Ibis, Power Grid, Indian Oil, Radio Mirchi, Desert Trails and Avenues Travel Services. This rally was an initiative of the NGO to create and spread awareness n social segment. Women Car Rally was considered as one of the National Record Creating Events.

HIMALAYAN CAR RALLY
The Himalayan Car Rally is another India’s most important and challenging rallies. The car rally started at New Delhi and concluded in New Delhi only. The rally was concentrated on the mountain terrains of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.