The organisers of this year’s Classic Himalayan Drive 2025 proudly dedicate the event to the late Philip Young, one of the most influential figures in international classic rallying.
Now in its 5th edition, the Classic Himalayan Drive is a unique motoring event featuring modern classic cars from 1958 to 2002. This year, 20 cars from the UK, France, Kenya, and Bhutan will participate, in addition to 10 Indian Classics and 10 modern Suvs retracing the traditional Himalayan Rally route of the 1980s. The 10-day odyssey, titled “The Classic Himalayan Drive”, will be held from 2nd to 10th November 2025, starting from Greater Noida and passing through some of the most scenic Himalayan landscapes.
The rally will have night halts at Ramnagar, Rishikesh, Welcomhotel The Savoy Mussoorie, Theog, Manali, Chandigarh, and will conclude at Welcomhotel ITC Dwarka, New Delhi.
Organised by Team Firefox, the Himalayan Drive series is a not a competitive rally ,but recreates the déjà vu experience of the legendary Himalayan Rally of the 1980s.
- The first edition in 2021 honoured Nazir Hoosein, founder of the Himalayan Rally.
- The 2022 edition celebrated the legacy of Jayant Shah of Kenya, four-time Himalayan Rally winner.
- The 2023 Himalayan Challenge took participants across Leh and Ladakh, reaching the highest motorable road in the world at Umling la .
- The 2024 Mystic Himalayan Drive travelled to Sikkim and Bhutan, with over 40 cars crossing international borders.
This year’s drive pays tribute to Philip Young, a familiar and much-loved face at the Himalayan Rallies of the 1980s — remembered for his wit and courage as for his eclectic choice of rally cars. From his 1300cc Morris Minor (formerly owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury) to the Austin Healey 3000, Range Rover V6, Triumph V8, and Skoda, Philip brought colour, style, and fierce competition to every edition.
As founder of the Endurance Rally Association (ERA), Philip established over 60 international endurance rallies, including the Pirelli Classic Marathon, Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, and London to Cape Town Rally.
A gifted journalist and racer, he competed in the London–Sydney Marathon (1977), Paris–Dakar (1986), and five Himalayan Rallies, and co-founded the Historic Rally Car Register, now the largest of its kind in the UK.
Philip Young’s untimely passing in 2015 left a void in the rallying world, but his legacy continues to inspire a new generation of adventurers who share his belief that “every road is a story waiting to be told.”
Rajan Syal,veteran of Eight Himalayan Rallies , from Team Firefox, stated:
“We’ve planned an exciting Himalayan Drive this year that celebrates the beauty of the Himalayas and builds a long-term association with Uttarakhand Tourism, one of our event sponsors. With a strong international lineup—including similar cars that once competed in the original Himalayan Rally—we aim to showcase that the Himalayas are second to none in adventure tourism, as we traverse the picturesque states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.”
The drive welcomes notable participants including Surinder Thatthi and Hardial Kalsi (driving an ex-Safari Rally Datsun), Howard Paterson in a Jaguar XK8 , Shai Vyakarnam in a Mini , and from India, Sourabh Chatterjee, J.S. Chandel, Sudev Barar and Subhash Goel who have all participated in the Himalayan Rallies.
The Classic Himalayan Drive is supported By Club ITC , Yokohama Tyre , ICSA , Uttarkhand Tourism , Radha Steels , LGT Wealth , Innatur & Vamcy Merla .
The flag-off will take place at the Jaypee Sports Complex, Greater Noida, on 2nd November 2025 from 10:00 a.m. onwards.
- The first edition in 2021 honoured Nazir Hoosein, founder of the Himalayan Rally.
- The 2022 edition celebrated the legacy of Jayant Shah of Kenya, four-time Himalayan Rally winner.
- The 2023 Himalayan Challenge took participants across Leh and Ladakh, reaching the highest motorable road in the world at Umling la .
- The 2024 Mystic Himalayan Drive travelled to Sikkim and Bhutan, with over 40 cars crossing international borders.
This year’s drive pays tribute to Philip Young, a familiar and much-loved face at the Himalayan Rallies of the 1980s — remembered for his wit and courage as for his eclectic choice of rally cars. From his 1300cc Morris Minor (formerly owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury) to the Austin Healey 3000, Range Rover V6, Triumph V8, and Skoda, Philip brought colour, style, and fierce competition to every edition.
As founder of the Endurance Rally Association (ERA), Philip established over 60 international endurance rallies, including the Pirelli Classic Marathon, Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, and London to Cape Town Rally.
A gifted journalist and racer, he competed in the London–Sydney Marathon (1977), Paris–Dakar (1986), and five Himalayan Rallies, and co-founded the Historic Rally Car Register, now the largest of its kind in the UK.
Philip Young’s untimely passing in 2015 left a void in the rallying world, but his legacy continues to inspire a new generation of adventurers who share his belief that “every road is a story waiting to be told.”