A large number of vintage cars and motorcycles ambled through the town of Udhagamandalam as the 13th iteration of the Vintage Car Show was held at the YWCA Grounds on Sunday.
The rally was flagged off by District Collector Innocent Divya at the Tamizhagam Bungalow. The rally passed through important thoroughfares in the town, before culminating at YWCA grounds.
Participants
Speaking to The Hindu , R. Rajinikanth, one of the organisers, said that out of the 60 vintage cars on show, 28 of them belonged to the people residing in the Nilgiris, while some of the vehicles had come from Erode, Salem, Karaikudi, Coimbatore and neighbouring such as Kerala and Karnataka.
The cars that caught the attention of the public were Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’, Humber Hawk, Austin A30 and A40, Morris Minor and a whole line of Chevys. “There are also a collection of vintage SUVs, including ones manufactured by Ford Motor Company during the Second World War,” said Mr. Rajnikanth, who added that many were plucked from the scrapheap and had to be fully restored.
A 1934 Dodge Brothers truck also drew many onlookers, while a unique 1939 Harvester Tractor was another main attraction. More than 40 motorcycles, including Jawa Yezdis, Royal Enfields and Lambrettas, led the vintage rally through the town and drew their own enthusiasts.
R. Bhoopathy from Salem, who is among a handful of people who own a 1931 Chevrolet Independence in Tamil Nadu, said that he had gotten involved in collecting classic cars since 1979. He added that the cars he owns were like the members of his family, and the costs of owning and maintaining a classic car were far outweighed by the joy of driving one.
Organisers said that enthusiasts from Sri Lanka and Canada had also come to the show usually organised during the summer season in the Nilgiris. The rally was postponed this year to ensure that residents were not affected by increased traffic.
