India News | Rare Rides to Roll Down Delhi Roads in 3-day Vintage Automobile Rally
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Car lovers will be able to feast their eyes on a 1948 casino velvet red car made for Maharani Shanta Devi of Baroda, when it stately rolls down the road in a vintage rally scheduled to take place later in the month here.
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Car lovers will be able to feast their eyes on a 1948 casino velvet red car made for Maharani Shanta Devi of Baroda, when it stately rolls down the road in a vintage rally scheduled to take place later in the month here.
More than 100 other vintage cars, including the rare 1932 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Series 2 Cabriolet, will grace the road during the 11th edition of the '21 Gun Salute Concours d'Elegance' taking place from February 21 to 23.
The rally will commence from India Gate and culminate at Ambience Greens on February 21 and will be flagged off by Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The marquee event will feature 125 rare automotive beauties and 50 heritage motorcycles, with each vintage car telling its own captivating story and highlighting the artistry and craftsmanship of the bygone era.
"This is the 11th edition of '21 Gun Salute Concours d'Elegance' and is very special, as we showcase new cars every time. Cars are coming from across the country. Lots of industrialists are participating and will showcase their cars. Some rare cars are coming from Mumbai and Pune as well," Madan Mohan, a well-known vintage and classic car collector and founder of the 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust told PTI.
Mohan offered a glimpse of what's to come at the show by displaying the striking 1948 Bentley Mark VI Drophead Coupe and the 1932 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Series 2 Cabriolet at the press event on Tuesday.
"The 1948 Bentley Mark 6 Drophead Coupe, called Baroda 2, was specially made for Maharani Shanta Devi of Baroda. The colour casino velvet red and the golden black upholstery as well as the design is very special because Bentley made this single piece for Maharani of Baroda. This was the most expensive car made in 1948 by Bentley. I acquired it in 2007," Mohan, who has a collection of over 350 vintage cars, said.
The car and motorcycle connoisseur also described how to classify the cars across categories, ranging from veteran to modern classic.
For instance, he said, cars manufactured from 1886 to 1908 are called 'veteran cars' while cars built in 1909 to 1919 are called 'Edwardian cars'.
"Those manufactured from 1920 to 1949 are 'vintage cars', from 1950 to 1965 are 'classic cars', and 1966 to 1975 are 'modern classic cars'," he added.
The event, which has had participation from across the globe over the years, will miss out on international participants this year due to a significant rise in transportation costs for cars from other countries.
"Because of some international issues, and ongoing wars, the fare for transporting these cars from other countries has gone up four times. This is the first time we don't have international participation," explained Mohan.
The award ceremony on the concluding day, to be judged by an international jury, will give awards to the three best restored cars displayed in the show.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)