Madan Mohan, president, Heritage Motorcars of India (HMCI), says, “There will be around 190 exclusive cars at the Concor show this time.” At the 10th 21 Gun Salute International Concours d’Elegance to be flagged off on January 5, 2023, some of the major attractions will be the 1951 Dodge Station Wagon used by Field Marshal KM Cariappa, former Chief of the Army Staff; 1934 Nash Ambassador; An Austin 7 convertible and a 1947 Buick Super 8.
The competition (by invitation only) and a ticketed event open to the public (January 6–8), is bi-annual. It was established in 2011 to promote motoring tourism in India. For the first time, the venue has been shifted from New Delhi to Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara. Samarjit Singh and Radhikaraje Gaekwad of the erstwhile royal family of Baroda are the patrons of the event, which is supported by the Union Ministry of Tourism. It is organized by the 21 Gun Salute Cultural and Heritage Trust. On the first day, a 90 kilometer ride will be organized from the Palace Golf Course Concourse to the Statue of Unity.
Vintage and classic car stables across the country are ready to show off their beauty and their road-worthiness. Palakkad-based vintage car restorer and collector Rajesh Ambal compares taking his 93-year-old Fiat Roadster to the show to “taking my great-grandparents”. Originality gets top priority,” he says.
“Three-quarters of the cars will be on show for the first time or after restoration,” according to Delhi-based Diljit Titus, founder and managing partner, Titus & Co., Advocates. Diljit, who will be showcasing six of his cars, has a private vintage and classic cars museum at his farmhouse in Mehrauli, which also showcases “other collectibles”. He explains that the cars will be assessed on various aspects such as originality, quality, back story, restoration, provenance etc. The originality of a used car is judged by how close the restored car is to what it was when it left the factory or dealership. The origin assessment is the story of the post-sale story, how the car changed hands and its various owners.
1934 Nash Ambassador, Series 1290 Eight, Touring Sedan | photo credit: special arrangement
He believes that car owners have an emotional attachment to their machines. “Why do we spend so much time on a car? What draws us to each one?” While each car represents a different era, design, character, form, colour, size and purpose, they are also evidence of “the evolution of automobile engineering and design”. There were hunting cars, there were cars for maharajas, there were pickups There were trucks… these were very early means of transportation.” High compression engines were introduced in the late 1920s, air conditioning in the 1940s, and power steering, gears, brakes and electric seat windows in the 1950s.
Renowned car restorer Ravi Kapoor, 83, is busy restoring seven cars for the rally. Ravi turned his passion and hobby for cars into a profession in 1992 by setting up a restoration unit – Kapoor’s Vintage Cars – in Jaipur, which he runs along with his son Sanjeev and a team of 30 mechanics. He is currently working on Austin 7 belonging to another 85 year old Rally Prabha Nene. “Mechanically the car is roadworthy, now it’s in the painting booth,” says Ravi, who is building a 1947 Buick Super 8 and a Dodge D2 1936 convertible, both of which were built for the Titanic Maharaja Ananth Narayan of Banaras. Singh’s.
1947, Buick Super 8 of Anant Narayan Singh of Banaras State. photo credit: special arrangement
“The maharaja used a Buick Super 8 when foreign guests came to Varanasi,” says Ravi. A 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Town sedan owned by a doctor in Jaipur and a 1938 Packard V12 four-door saloon owned by a private collector in Delhi are also being “maintained” by his team. “Only 450 models of the Packard V12 were manufactured, of which there are only three left in the world. It is the only one of its kind in India,” says Ravi, who recently went to sand-blasting to work on the car body. had invested in a blasting machine, and was one of the first to set up painting booths for cars to give the final coat a smooth finish.
With the craze for vintage cars and the growing demand for restoration, the next two generations of his family have also joined the business. They say that despite high duties on importing vintage cars, there is still a growing market. Ravi’s love affair with cars began when he bought his first Austin in 1966. Although he laughs about his “mad man’s fancy”, he says that the greatest satisfaction comes when he “sees the Mercedes car-guy roll down his window and deliver the vintage car.” thumbs up”.
“The Maharaja was the biggest owner and collector of these cars. But many private collectors have bought it and have huge inventory,” says Madan Mohan, who has one of the largest collections of vintage and classic cars in the country in New Delhi. In the 2020 rally, he participated with his 1937 Rolls-Royce and will do so again with other cars. “My car last covered 4,200 kms without a breakdown. We went up to 150 kmph in parts like Bikaner to Jodhpur,” he says, adding that old cars are as good as any new car if tuned well. Over the years, the quality of restoration has grown “by leaps and bounds”, he says, adding that it is now on par with international restorers. Madan, who built his collection over 22 years, is also a member of the jury this time to select winners in 14 categories. “Everyone is under high pressure to prepare their cars to the highest standard,” he says.
Prabha Nene, 85, with her 1934 Austin 7 | photo credit: special arrangement
Prabha Nene calls the Austin Seven her “saheli” or friend. Prabha, who is 85, says that her car is older than her: “88 years old”. In 1970, she was the only female participant in the Mumbai-Nagpur Vespa scooter rally. “It is a privilege for me to be a part of this prestigious event,” says Prabha. “The cars have to be in immaculate condition for the show, as the standards are very high.” Prabha has been a volunteer traffic controller in Pune for the past 22 years, and is now the subject of a feature-length documentary film by filmmaker Vinita Negi.
Chennai-based collector and restorer Ranjit Pratap and his team work on the engine of his 1965 model Ford Thunderbird, which will be attending the event. Two of his classic cars – a 1949 Hudson and a 1967 Jaguar Mark 2 – are at the ready. Ranjit has a collection of 90 classic and vintage cars in “impeccable condition” as he takes care of them every day for two hours (4 pm to 6 pm). His family was a Hudson dealer from 1946 to 1951. That’s where he got fond of these kinds of cars, he says. Ranjeet also agrees that while restoration standards have gone up in India, parts are not readily available due to the huge increase in freight. “The Thunderbird engine is an eight-cylinder and importing parts from the US is exorbitant,” he says. Ranjeet is pushing car owners and collectors from South India to have a stronger representation at the event. He has also been advocating that the Department of Motor Vehicles implement better policies regarding classic and vintage cars. “We are fighting many challenges. Though the MV Act prescribed by the Central Government states that cars that are more than 50 years old from the date of manufacture are exempted from taxes and other regulatory factors, the implementing agencies are the State Governments and are not familiar with many aspects of the Act,” They said .
Radhika Raje Gaikwad and Samarjeet Singh Gaikwad | Photo Credit: 21 Gun Salute Cultural and Heritage Trust
Meanwhile, Baroda royal Radhikaraje is hoping to make the event at her home “as traditional as possible” in terms of cuisine, crafts and culture. “It would be unusual for the city of Vadodara and for our family to have it in the garden of our house.” Coffee Table Book Released Baroda State Motor CarsOne of the highlights of the competition will be the introduction of a special class – the Baroda State Class Motorcars, by leading automotive writer Karl Bhote on his 55 classic cars. “We are looking forward to homecoming some Baroda cars that are now in the hands of private collectors, such as the convertible Bentley used by Maharani Chimnabai, the visionary queen of Baroda,” says Radhikaraje.
Jury and Categories
The 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally and Concours d’Elegance is part of the International Chief Judges Advisory Group (ICJAG), which also hosts the prestigious Salon Privé Classic and Supercar shows. The cars are judged under 14 categories and the jury comprises 35 judges from around the world. Categories include Veterans and Edwardians (1886–1919); pre-war American (1920–1939); pre-war European (1920–1939); American after the war; Playboy Cars; Screen Cars: Hollywood, Tollywood, Mollywood Cars; Indian Heritage Cars; small cars; Rolls-Royce Class; and Bentley Class.
Maharani of Baroda 1947 Bentley V1, Drophead Coupe | Photo Credit: 21 Gun Salute Cultural and Heritage Trust