All India Rally in 1970: My father's adventure in an MG Midget

Excited about the event uncle Stuart and Papa decided to participate. They enrolled for it and easily one of the most amazing experiences in my father's life began to unfold.

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In 1970, the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) at Mumbai conducted the 7000 km long All India Highway Motor Rally based on the Monte Carlo Rally. It was to be completed in a week’s time and formed part of the silver jubilee celebrations of India’s independence. It was sanctioned by the Federation International Automobile (FIA) and backed by all motor sport clubs in India. The rally attracted 120 entries and the competition started simultaneously from Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. They were all Nagpur-bound.

News of this rally spread across India and by a stroke of luck my father Chandrakant Gir had a neighbour Stuart Addiscott, an Englishman, with a gorgeous MG Midget. Excited about the event uncle Stuart and Papa decided to participate. They enrolled for it and easily one of the most amazing experiences in my father's life began to unfold. As family we were not too far and while I was still a kid I remember vividly the sheer excitement around the rally.

Stuart Addiscott at the wheel of his MG and Papa, Chandrakant Gir beside him:

I was just seven years old and our neighbours, right opposite to our gate on Road Number 12 Banjara Hills, Hyderabad were an English family. What made them very special was a stunning little MG Midget thay had brought down from England. It was my first exposure to a sports car and you can imagine I revelled in the crazy experience.

Mrs Addiscott, aunty Jane, knew I drooled over the MG so whenever she took the stunner out for errands she'd call out to me to join her on jaunts across Hyderabad. The smell of an English sports car's leather and the roar of the exhaust remains etched firmly in my mind. Aunty Jane was a fab driver and she pushed the little Midget through the gears just the way an MG should be driven. You can imagine what that did to my mind. It blew me.

After school I hung out a lot with their kids, the main attraction being the little MG and the fun things uncle Stuart was doing with another great hobby of his, aeromodelling.

Once Uncle Stuart and Papa had signed up to participate in the All India Rally the excitement began. They got sponsors and the little MG sported advertisements. Boxes of Chiclets from Warner Hindustan arrived, not to mention cigarette packets for uncle Stuart and Papa. I was too young to be privy to all the details but I do know they were sponsored for the Rally and the car bears evidence to it.

They had planned to do a recce run before the Rally which they did. The Rally was to start from Chennai and via Bangalore, Hyderabad onto Nagpur.

Papa holding a carton of Charminar cigarettes:

Left to right Stuart Addiscott, Jegangir Ali, Papa's dear friend who ran a garage, and my father Chandrakant Gir:

With all the ad stickers the MG looked every bit a Rally car:

All ready to race !

Papa posing with the MG: 

Stuart Addiscott with his delightful little Midget:

Chandrakant Gir in the Midget elevated view:

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