On this day the first Indian car rally was held between Kolkata and Barrackpore. It was organised by the Automobile Association of Bengal, which later came to be known as the Automobile Association of Eastern India.
The event was described as “more an amiable trundle to a distant suburb” than a race, “essentially for likeminded gentlemen (and one lady)”, and 11 cars participated in it. But at that time tonly 60-odd cars were registered in the Bengal Presidency. The rally crew stopped at the Emerald Bower, which belonged to Maharaja Bahadur Sir Joteendro Mohun Tagore, following which the participants proceeded to Barrackpore.
This rally was followed in December by a bigger one from Delhi to Bombay (now Mumbai). It was held from December 26, 1904, to January 2, 1905.
