It was not so much the turnout of 85 cars and 36 bikes as the quality of these vehicles that proved the success of the seventh edition of the annual MyTVS Heritage Motor rally. At the event, orchestrated by members of the Madras Heritage Motoring Club (MHMC) at the Don Bosco School grounds in Egmore on Sunday, most machines gave the impression of having been elaborately prepared for the show.
Another mark of improvement was the intense scrutiny the machines were subjected to: this edition had three judges — Raja Mukherjee, Partho Bannerjee and Lt. Col. Jacob. “The aim was to encourage members to aspire for higher standards,” said V.S. Kylas, secretary, MHMC. “We stoke the spirit of emulation and not that of competition.”
For example, the weightage given to the 40 vehicles that successfully completed the daunting Chennai-Pondy rally earlier this year was meant to increase participation in this annual trip down the ECR. Following the same logic, T.T. Raghunathan's 1937 SS Jaguar was allowed to occupy the most prominent place on the grounds because the car made Chennai proud by winning the Concours d'Elegance in its class at the 2011 Cartier ‘Travel with Style' show in New Delhi, where timeless and brilliantly restored cars competed.”
The meticulously buffed SS Jag drew eyes for its impeccable restoration. So did the other vehicles for different reasons. Three that stood roof to roof were admired for their singular lack of size. A 1960 Morris Mini Moke, a 1970 Austin Mini 1000 and a 1951 Fiat Topolino seemed to carry on a show of their own. With a 1926 BSA, a 1938 Triumph 3H and many other iconic bikes, the line-up of two-wheelers also held the interest of the visitors.
