There are about 1.5 billion people in our country, and approximately 50 million cars. And of these 50 million plus cars, one is special, very special. And this is the legendary Ford Lotus Cortina of Indian rallyist Dr. Bomsi Wadia. For the simple reason that this Cortina, is the only car on our planet, to have participated in both the 1968 and 1977, epic London to Sydney Marathon events.

Until recently, this Lotus Cortina had been lost and forgotten in the folds of time, and therefore I consider myself extremely fortunate that I got to drive it on 20^th February, 2026 at – The Oberoi Tour d’Elegance event in Udaipur. And what an enjoyable, memorable and nostalgic experience it was. My hands were sweating in anticipation when I turned the ignition key, and hearing the engine firing followed by the soothing sound of the twin downdraft carbs sucking and breathing in air through the quad chrome trumpets, awakened more memories and emotions, than I can describe.

Let me just say that I was ecstatic when I shifted the lever of the smooth gearbox to select first and then let out the clutch and pressed the throttle to feed fuel to the hungry carbs. Over the last few years, this very scene had played out in my head on numerous occasions, and while I had fervently hoped that it will manifest itself someday, frankly I was quite skeptical about it happening.

And now that it has, I think the time has come for me to tell my part of the story and speak of the small role that I have played in ensuring this iconic Ford Lotus Cortina survives, and stays as a visible landmark of India’s motorsport history, for all present and future generations of automotive enthusiasts.

My connection with this Lotus Cortina goes back to 1977, and its resurrection means a lot to me, because when I got it from Dr. Bomsi Wadia few years back, I had promised him I would try my best to save and salvage his beloved Cortina, and put it back on the roads, where it belonged. I had given him my word (and signed an agreement with him on a stamped paper too) that this Ford Lotus Cortina would always carry his name and proclaim to the world, that Dr. Wadia had taken the start and driven this very same car in both the London to Sydney Marathons. And while there are many drivers who took part in both, there is only one car that has done that. And on both occasions, it was entered by Dr. Wadia.

For those who may not be aware, the 1968 and 1977 London to Sydney rallies were epic, long-distance endurance marathons, with the 1968 event covering some 16,000 kms. The 1977 rally route of 30,000 km was even longer, with both events crossing Europe, Asia, and Australia. What is more important is that both events, went through India with halts at Bombay, and as already mentioned a few times, Dr. Wadia participated in both these events. And while these events will always remain iconic milestones in world motorsport history, hopefully now that the Dr. Wadia’s Ford Lotus Cortina, has been salvaged and saved, these two will also be remembered and get the respect and fame they deserve.

So what exactly is my connection with this car? This is a question I have been asked several times since this restored Ford Lotus Cortina made its first public appearance at the Oberoi Concourse d’Elegance event last week. While a detailed answer will take up several pages, let me try and briefly state the facts.

I first saw this car in 1977 when Dr. Bomsi Wadia took part in the London to Sydney. In the past I have written about how this event virtually changed my life and set me on the motoring path, so I won’t go into that here. Let me just say that I was a fan of Dr. Bomsi Wadia and whenever I met him, he was kind to this fan. On one occasion in the late 1970s or early 1980s, he took me for a short drive in his Cortina and later when he moved to a Premier Padmini (also painted red and white) he also proudly showed me what modifications had been done to it. Later he got a Toyota Celica and took part in the Himalayan Rally organized by Nazir Hoosein, and even then he spoke to me about his car.

After Dr. Wadia stopped rallying and coming for motorsport events, I lost touch with him. But whenever the subject of the London Sydney came up, I always made it a point to mention Dr. Wadia and his Cortina. But then around a decade or so back, I began to realize that hardly anyone knew of Dr. Bomsi Wadia, leave alone his illustrious Ford Cortina.  And when Indian motorsport became a popular subject of discussion on various social media platforms, and there was no mention of Dr. Wadia that I could see anywhere, I fully fathomed that he and his Cortina had been forgotten.

It was this that drove me to go meet up with Dr. Bomsi Wadia again, and he was as welcoming as ever. I presented him with a copy of a book about the 1968 London to Sydney Rally that I had picked up on a trip to UK. He was pleased that he had been mentioned in it and even more delighted when I told him that I wanted to interview him for the Overdrive magazine (of which I was consulting editor then) and website.

He called me home for breakfast and after the interview, when I told him I would like to see his Cortina, he initially tried to avoid the subject. When I persisted he said, “I have not seen the car for several years. It has not been started for almost 40 years and I have no idea of the state it is in, or even if it’s still there where I left it”. Upon my insistence he took me to the spot and in the photographs here you can see the condition I found it in.

When I told him this car could and should be saved, he said “Arre Baba what are you saying. This car is totally wrecked and just like scrap. In fact the bhangarwalas (scrap dealers) want it for the metal”. Then the article got published and Dr. Wadia phoned me one day saying he was very happy with the story and that he was now getting calls from many people he had not met or spoken to in many years, and people were even asking about his rally car, and so on. He then mentioned that Farokh Commissariat (a good friend of mine) had even offered to buy it, but he had refused saying that it was me (Bob) that had approached him first.

So few days later, I got the Ford Lotus Cortina from Dr. Wadia but only after we signed an agreement and I gave him my word that the car would always carry his name and I would try my best to make people aware of its unique motorsport journey with him. He was standing right beside me when the Cortina was transported from the spot where it had been resting in the open for almost 40 years. Two trees had also come up in front of it, making getting it out even more difficult!

Little did I know then, that while the Cortina was being moved with the aim of getting resurrected, cancer causing germs were emerging inside me. And just a few weeks later, I was in hospital battling this dreaded disease. But fortunately, as I did not have any space to store the Cortina, on getting it, I had sent it my friend Khushru Patel’s house in Lonavala for safe keeping. So there it lay.

In the meantime, between my bouts of surgery, chemotherapy, rest, recovery, relapse, etc, all which went on for few years, I did speak with few friends like Gautam Sen (father of Indian auto journalism) and the famous car restorer, historian, and Concourse curator Manvendra Singh Barwani, about having the Cortina and wanting to restore it. But honestly, given my health condition, the scale of repairs, parts, and research and efforts required, were beyond me.

I was also told that while the engine, gearbox, aluminium doors, bonnet and boot could be all be used, the original body was beyond repair as it had broken. So I started looking for a donor Ford Cortina whose body could possibly be utilized and I even spoke with car collectors and enthusiasts like Karl Bhote, whose hobby it is to keep track of vintage and classic cars all over our country. Karl did give a lead about a Cortina, but I could not trace it. Another friend Ranjit Pratap, had a Ford Cortina MK II in immaculate condition, and I requested him a lot to sell it to me. But Ranjit was not keen to part with it at that time.

When things were going nowhere with the car, and I had my hands full dealing with my illness, Manvendra approached me and said he would take the Cortina from me and restore it on his own. That way I would not have to look for parts, study quotations, make any payments, or anything. By then the Cortina had been lying out in the open exposed to Lonavala’s heavy monsoons for a couple of seasons, and was deteriorating even more. The car I had wanted to save and promised Dr. Wadia that I would do my best to restore, was getting worse with me.

So I thought the best thing to do was to accept Manvendra’s offer, as that way the car would at least get saved. Manvendra also mentioned that he would be keeping the Cortina as he wanted it for his son Siddhraj, who I know is a motorsport enthusiast who has done a driving course at Ari Vatanen’s Rally School too. This made parting with the car slightly easier, as I thought it would be with a true enthusiast who would value it.

Sometime last year, Manvendra informed me that the Cortina would be ready in time for the 2026 Oberoi Concourse d’Elegance, and that he had even managed to repair the original body, though it took a lot of effort. And of course money. The rest of the story you know. I got to drive it on 20^th February, and that will remain a memorable experience. Manvendra, thank you for letting me do that.

Personably of course I feel bad that the dream I saw, and the car I always wanted, is no longer with me. For a while the grapevine had been suggesting that once the Cortina was exhibited at the Concourse, it would exchange hands. And now I know it’s gone to someone with far more resources. I just hope that the car is looked after, and wherever it’s displayed or seen, people learn about Dr. Bomsi Wadia and the history of his car. My promise to Dr. Wadia that his car would be saved and would carry his name has been fulfilled. And so while I may have lost the battle to keep the Cortina, the war to resurrect it has been fortunately won.