His Other Chariot Is An Alpha Romeo 8C

Classic motors are a sight to behold, and more Indians are in their hopeless thrall than ever

- Stuti Agarwal

Madan Mohan is on his way to a ‘rajbari’ in West Bengal, his third trip to the obscure village dominated by a neo-classical mansion. His objective: to persuade the maharani to sell her late husband’s 1933 Rolls Royce 20/25 Limousine. But this trip is special: Mohan has with him a brand-new Toyota Corolla, a gift for the maharani, who has no transport around the Naxal-dominated region, since the Rolls Royce is mouldering away steadily. She is pleased by the thoughtful gesture and decides to part with her husband’s heirloom—unto hands that will lovingly restore it to its glistening glory. Mohan, an industrialist who has bought many vintage cars from India’s former royalty, often lends them from his restored collection for ceremonial use. All collectors have tales from their long trails, and this is a backstory from Mohan’s collection of 287 vintage and classic cars. He’s not alone in his quest. There is a new fleet of Indians who are investing money and time in classic motors. “There has been a marked increase in the zeal around collecting vintage cars, and a great deal is owed to the increasing exposure the hobby has got,” says collector Nitin Dossa, president, Vintage and Classic Car Club of India. One enabling reason is the government’s 2013 decision to lift the ban on importing cars of a 1950 vintage or older. “Even with a daunt­ ing 220 per cent import duty, people are bringing in cars,” says Vineet Gupta, direc­tor, Statesman Vintage Car Rally. “They are well within the reach of many more and no longer restricted to royal families or army officers,” he says. The Statesman rally—a bastion of lovers, admirers and owners of these exquisite artefacts—saw 34 new ent­ries this year—a significant hike, says Gupta.