Vantage World Tour Crosses Incredible India

Phil and Will Churchill have successfully completed the Indian leg of their monumental Vantage World Tour. Traversing 2,000 miles (3,300 kilometres) coast to coast from Kolkata to Mumbai in their 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the father and son team continue their journey to raise vital funds for a cause close to their hearts.

The Indian chapter began with an unexpected logistics challenge. Their much-travelled Vantage, affectionately known as ‘Krosy’, remained held in a container after their arrival in Kolkata, delaying the start of the driving leg by a week. The delay forced a change of plan, with the pair choosing to abandon their intended visit to Nepal in order to preserve time for the Indian route and avoid another border crossing.

Once Krosy was released, the route unfolded north-westerly from Haldia through Durgapur, Gaya, Varanasi and Agra to Delhi, before heading south-westerly through Jaipur, Udaipur and Vadodara before reaching Mumbai. Along the way, the Churchills experienced the Ganga Aarti ceremony on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, visited the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal, received a warm welcome from Tushar and the team at Adventures Overland in Delhi and admired Jaipur’s Amber Palace.

The final approach to Mumbai proved a hard-earned 250+ miles of challenging roads and gridlocked traffic. An interview and filming session with Top Gear India preceded the fitting finale at the Gateway of India, marking the end of a memorable coast-to-coast adventure.

Krosy will now make his way to Oman, where Phil and Will expect to be reunited with the car in a few months for the next chapter of their world tour.

Since departing London in February 2023, the Vantage World Tour has driven more than 23,500 miles across 17 countries. The team’s extraordinary efforts have raised more than £37,000 for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity dedicated to combating suicide, recognised as the largest killer of men under 50 in the UK. Supporters can learn more at www.thecalmzone.net and contribute towards their fundraising at www.justgiving.com/vantageworldtour.