Udhagamandalam :
The tenth consecutive year of the annual vintage car rally was held in style as about seventy vintage and classic cars trundled at Ooty’s main square on Saturday. The participants along with the audience thronged to gaze the old beauties. The rally organized by the Nilgiri Vintage and Classic Cars Association is being held in the hill resort.
The city sported an imperial look with 70 cars and 20 two-wheelers of the vintage era majestically toured across the town to YWCA Anandhagiri ground near Ooty main bus stand.
The number of cars witnessed this year at the show rose from 50 last year. Exclusives of the show included 1931 Baby Austin, 1946 make Wolsley, Austin, Dodge, Cowley, an American Ford Jeep, ‘Low Bonnet’ which was a part of the World War II, and MG TB make of 1939.
While Low Bonnet appeared in Vijai’s ‘Kuruvi’, MG TB, owned by AVM production, appeared in Rajini’s ‘Shivaji’. Out of seventy, over thirty-five vintage participants drove from Chennai, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Namakkal and Erode and the rest from Bangalore and Cochin.
1946 make Wolsley which was on display once belonged to the Mysore Maharaja. His collection also includes a 1954 Plymouth and a 1954 Austin both once owned by J R D Tata of which Plymouth was the car Tata used for his personal use.
R Rajnikanth, president of the Nilgiri Vintage Car Association, who has an alluring collection of 9 cars, including a van, Dodge Kingsway and Austin said, “Maintaining vintage cars is not expensive. It can run around 50 to 60km per month,” adding that only the tyres are to be imported as other parts of the car are in good condition.
Among the members in the Nilgiris Vintage and Classic Car Association, he has the highest number of cars.
Conversing further about his passion, he added, “Vintage cars can run for about 100 years. The oldest I have is ‘Baby Austin’ which is 79 years old. It can run comfortably for another 25 years.”
Apart from individual collectors, the Defence Service Staff College (DSSC), Wellington too owns high end vintage luxury cars such as Plymouth Savoy (1957) and a Mercedes Benz 200 (1967) which served many dignitaries including Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and former President Abdul Kalam during their visit to the summer retreat and still continues to serve the top officials of the DSSC.
The vintage car association awards its winners. The show is partially sponsored by TaxiTaxi, a rental car concern.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / May 27th, 2015