MANGALURU: The legendary singer Kishore Kumar and Bajpe – the village where Mangaluru’s international airport is located – have one thing in common: a car. The 1937 British Austin 7 Ruby used in the 1958 film Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi starring Kishore Kumar was bought by Rathnakar Bhandary, an arecanut and paddy farmer who lives in Bajpe, about 20km from Mangaluru.
Over two decades, Rathnakar has indulged his love for vintage cars and has bought and even restored several of them. What’s more, they’re all in running condition. In nearly two decades, he has purchased over 20 vintage British and American cars and currently owns an Austin, a 1951 model Morris Minor, a Willys jeep, and Indo-British open-top Standard Herald. He restored and sold the rest.
The first vintage car he bought was a Willys jeep about 16 years ago from the previous owner in New Delhi. At the time, he bought it for Rs 20,000, but now, its value is around Rs 7 lakh, Rathnakar says. “It had no value until recently and now everybody wants it,” he says.
Although it is a challenge to repair some of them – given that they require special technical know-how because they use older technology – Rathnakar, who is has a diploma in automobile engineering, still loves doing it.
“I have some technical knowledge because I repair pumps. Though many people own vintage cars, the vehicles are not in working condition. My cars are in running condition. We need to look after these cars as if they were our own children,” he says. His wife Divya and children Riya and Rishabh are also vintage car aficionados.
He bought a Chevrolet from New Delhi last year and sourced spare parts from the USA and UK. “It was supposed to be scrapped. It had some engine issues and we modified it a little. Its mileage is around 4-5km per litre,” he says.
He usually doesn’t change anything about a vintage car. “Even if you change one part, it loses its value,” Rathnakar says. He spent around Rs 32 lakh on the Chevrolet, including Rs 1.5 lakh on repairs. Its six-cylinder engine is as big as that of a bus. “This car will keep going for another 500 years if maintained well. It drives smoothly.”
He bought the Morris from someone in Gadag, while the 1964 model Standard Herald was purchased from Uttar Pradesh. It was not in running condition when he bought it and he spent around Rs 2 lakh restoring it. Of all the cars Rathnakar has bought, the Austin is his favourite. He bought it for Rs 8 lakh and then spent nearly double that amount to refurbish it.
Once owned by cricketer Ajay Jadeja’s family, the car may also appear in a Kannada tele-film to be shot in Honnavar, a coastal town in Uttara Kannada district. In the past, he used to participate in vintage car rallies and also in Republic Day exhibitions, but has stopped as the cars get damaged. He wanted to buy a Beetle car from Delhi but decided against it due to financial constraints.
“A lot of people discarded or sold vintage cars as spare, but I am proud to own these old beauties. These are my treasures,” he says, adding that younger people should develop an interest in collecting these vintage cars and preserve them.
Many times when he has taken his vintage beauties out for a spin, people have followed him, sometimes even right up to his house, to take pictures. Look at the cars, and little wonder that people would want pictures of the sleek wheels.
One trip fetches him R 500 - 600
Siddaraju’s only wish is to give his son, now in Class 6 at the Belagola Government School, a good education.