Kolkata: An elderly couple from Australia— Lang and Bev Kidby— took on the Classic Driver’s Club’s (CDC) vintage car rally on a sultry Sunday morning in Kolkata, after having traversed 14 countries over a period of almost four months in their 102-year-old vintage car, a 1923 Bean. The couple embarked on their journey as ‘an adventure trip’ before they get constricted by age on March 18 from England and reached the city last Monday.Lang and Bev, in their late seventies, shipped the Bean from Australia to England and drove through Europe to enter Asia towards the end of April. Their journey to India saw them driving through Iran and Pakistan where they encountered several obstacles. The couple braved soaring temperatures and faced several mechanical issues with the car. However, Lang and Bev were prepared for harsh circumstances and trained themselves in aerobics to get fit. On reaching Pakistan, Bev’s e-visa was not accepted and she had to fly from Lahore to Dubai and then to New Delhi to reach India, whereas Lang had to drive all the way to India alone. The Kidbys’ drove through multiple conflict areas as well and armed guards followed their expedition to prevent them from facing any issues in those areas. The couple described the journey as ‘wonderful and worthwhile’. “Meeting new people is what makes the journey more enjoyable. When my friends ask me about my interaction with the locals, I always say that they are wonderful and delightful to engage with,” said Bev. The duo went on to say that the overall trip was carried out effortlessly with the immense support of FIVA, the International Federation for Historic Vehicles. Their car clubs organized the couple’s accommodation in all the different countries that they travelled through.The couple’s entry into Bengal was marked by a detour to Murshidabad’s famous palace-turned-heritage-hotel Cossimbazar Palace. Pallab Roy, owner of the property, said “I am an automobile enthusiast myself and I take an interest in restoring vintage cars”. Bev said that she has always enjoyed her stay in India. “It’s so colourful and noisy, the hussle and bussle of the city is something I love”. They are currently lodged at a city club and plan to depart from Kolkata in the coming week. However, their departure from the city is not the end of their journey. “This is merely two-thirds of our journey. We are shipping the car to Australia where we will travel 5,000 kilometers more,” said Lang.Ritabrata Mukherjee, General Committee member of the Classic Driver’s Club, the only club in India to be a member of FIVA said that, “We are glad that Lang and Bev made our event a memorable one.”
Aussie couple on 102-year-old car traverses 14 countries, reaches Kol – Times of India
