KOCHI: Is a car just an automobile or something more? Yes and No. For some people, a car is just a mode of transport. But for some, a car is a prized possession with many stories and memories to share. The ones with vintage and classic cars.
These timeless cars, with irresistible beauty, from the century of yore, will have fascinating histories behind them.
Though there are no clear definitions for what makes a vehicle vintage, generally it is manufactured before 1930. A classic car will be at least 25 years old. The real vintage cars in India came mainly from the pre-independent era royal families. Those costly automobiles were imported from Europe and the US.
Expensive hobby
Collecting vintage or classic cars is a passion or an expensive hobby. Some motorheads travel from museums to rallies, to watch, touch and get the feel of vintage cars. And it’s not about numbers for any collector. A vintage collector who owns at least one car will take care of the vehicle like a family member.
Rajesh Ambal of Palakkad is a known figure among vintage car aficionados. Just like many children, his love for cars started with toys and scale models. Now, he and his wife Ramya Lakshminarayan run an amazing empire of vintage/ classic cars and more than 1,000 scale models.
Currently, the couple has 20 priceless cars in their personal collection and more are being restored across different garages. They meet the cost for the maintenance of these cars partly by renting them out for exhibitions.
Rajesh and Ramya travel to remote villages and urban suburbs of India to find cars that are abandoned near local workshops, scrap yards or backyards. Each car they buy at scrap prices then warrants another journey, a trip to find original parts for their restoration.
A couple of years ago, the couple launched RR Vintage and Classic Automobiles: Collection and Restoration, with garages in Palakkad and Pollachi. Rajesh is currently the vice president of The Historical Cars Association of India.
“It is a misconception that the rich alone own vintage cars,” says Rajesh. His collection of scale models contains the toy cars he played with in his childhood. “Many start with one car and work on it tirelessly for years to restore it to its former glory. And that speaks volumes of their passion,” he says.
Rajesh has come across several youngsters who invest in Ambassadors, Fiats and Maruti 800s as their first cars and spend time restoring them for many months. “Today’s car will be tomorrow’s pride for them. People tirelessly work by acquiring spares from all over the world. Each generation wants to invest in a car that was part of childhood which connects to lots of memories and that’s what this passion is all about.”
The vintage arena is a wide space that consists of antiques, vintage, classics and super classics categories. India has a vast collection of vintage and classic cars that speak about the history of this country. Cars belonging 50 years and above are called heritage cars and have a separate privileged registration number.
Approximately, 3000 vintage cars exist in India today, valued at Rs 350 crore. Some of the biggest vintage car collectors in India own the rarest cars such as the Mercedes 540 K and the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, valued at more than Rs 1 crore.
Shows and rallies
Fashion shows will simply fail in the glamour quotient, in front of a classic/vintage car rally! Among the affluent class in India, vintage car shows can even be part of private functions. Some super-luxury hotels use such cars to service high-profile guests.
Motoring clubs, associations and social media groups organise regular rallies in different parts of India. WhatsApp/Facebook groups such as Pan India, Goa Vintage and VCMC keep collectors connected, share valuable information and also encourage new collectors into their forums. Educative sessions and sales of spare parts are also held. A lot of iconic models from brands like Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lincoln, Beetle, Plymouth, Cadillac, MG, GM, Ford etc grace these events. Many shows like 21 Gun Salute, Statesman and Cartier encourage collectors from around the country.
The Indian classics
Even as we see a million sleek cars on Indian roads, we can’t hide our nostalgic memories about the bulky Ambassador and the cute Premier Padmini, the iconic car models that faded into history. Till 1980s, when India joined hands with Suzuki of Japan to launch Maruti, ‘Amby’ and ‘Padmini’ (Fiat) were the only Indian cars.
Ambassador from the Birla Group’s Hindustan Motors came into existence in 1957. It was based on the British car Morris Oxford series III. The Ambassador through its many updates, claimed a legendary status in India till it went out of production in 2013.
Competition from modern brands, inability to adapt to the changed market situations etc contributed to its closure. After that, Amby models have attained ‘classic’ image and enthusiasts are restoring them to their former glory. A few thousand Ambassadors are still plying on Indian roads as taxis or private cars. But the ‘restored’ Ambassadors are clearly in a separate league.
Premier Automobiles rolled out its first car from its Bombay plant in 1964, under license from Fiat, Italy. It was branded as Fiat 1100 till 1973, when it got the Indian name ‘Padmini’. The car was stylish and modern by the then standards and became a hot favourite, particularly among celebrities, professionals, youngsters and women.
Premier Brand weakened when competition became tighter and the company faced financial troubles. It brought down shutters in 2001. Like Amby, Padmini also finds a special place in the hearts of car lovers. A lot of Padminis have been restored and are being kept as cherished possessions.
How to maintain
It is very important to preserve your car’s value, appearance, and driveability Keep your car ready to drive with apt levels of fluids, oil, water and brake fluid. It will prevent it from overheating too.
At least once a month, run the car to keep it healthy. Watch the brakes and replace the brake fluid at least once a year to maintain stopping power.
Keep it properly to prevent corrosion and maintain classic appearance. During repairs, take efforts to obtain original stock parts for the model. Otherwise the value will go down. Treat and remove rust as soon as you see it Don’t ignore regular maintenance.
Classic cars require more maintenance.
The law
The registration process for Vintage Motor Vehicles To preserve and promote the heritage of vintage vehicles, the registration process of Vintage Motor Vehicles has been formalised. The Central government has brought out Amendment of CMVR 1989 in July 2021.
All 2/4 wheelers, 50+ years old, maintained in their original form and which have not undergone any substantial overhaul, shall be defined as Vintage Motor Vehicles
Vehicles already registered can retain their original registration mark. However, for fresh registration, the mark will be assigned as “XX VA YY*”, where VA stands for vintage, XX stands for state code, YY will be a two-letter series and “*” a number from 0001 to 9999 allotted by the State Registering Authority
Fees for a new registration is Rs 20,000 and subsequent re-registration Rs 5,000
Vintage motor vehicles shall not be driven on roads for commercial purposes
Top 5 vintage cars
There are some classic cars that stood the test of time to emerge as all-time favorites. Recently five cars were selected as the TOP 5 Vintage cars in India. Rolls Royce Phantom II, MG TC Midget, Delahaye 135, Jaguar XK150 and MG YT got featured on the list.
The writer is a freelance auto expert who hosts TV shows and anchors the YouTube channel ‘CARKADUVA’