THE GREAT OVERLAND ADVENTURE
RELIVING A JOURNEY WITH A MERCEDES-BENZ GLA ALL THE WAY FROM THE COMPANY’S HQ IN STUTTGART, GERMANY, TO ITS MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN PUNE
About 6 years ago we embarked on the longest, biggest and the most challenging drive of all when we decided to drive from Stuttgart to Pune; from the German headquarters of Mercedes-Benz to their Indian headquarters. It was also the first time that an Indian auto magazine had done an intercontinental drive. What we got and brought for our readers was an adventure of a lifetime. No airlifting cars from one point to another, no oceans to cross, just about 18,000 km of roads and tracks ahead of us, including some of the harshest terrain found anywhere in the world. It was day after day of endless driving, reaching a town late at night, getting up early in the morning to do some photography around town and then on to the next planned stop for the night. It was not easy going at all—the border crossings were a challenge and we had six of them, the Himalayas stood in our path as did the freezing temperatures of Siberian Russia. The drive went flawlessly and we were back in office on schedule, not coming to terms with the feat, thinking if it as just a dream.
A lot has changed since then. Some people from my team have moved on to other roles while others both in the team and other organisations who were involved with the drive now sport different designations. I am still the same and driving adventures are in my blood and while I have been bound to my armchair during the Coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to share the story of the drive that still brings joy to my heart and a smile to my face. We really did pull it off! Hoping that we will all be able to get back on the road again, very soon! ■