The 1,909 Wolseley Siddely is among the three Wolseleys in the State. But what makes this particular motor vehicle - the centre piece of the “Vintage and Classic Car and Bike Parade” held here on Sunday – special, is the fact that it is a whole century old.
The Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club (KVCC), in association with the Hotel ITC Royal Gardenia and the Transport Department, organised the annual car and bike parade for a “Greener and Cleaner Bangalore”.
These gas-guzzlers started at the ITC Royal Gardenia and passed through the main thoroughfares of the city, finally gathering at the Bangalore Palace. Close to 100 cars and 44 bikes were part of this rather grand parade.
Ravi Prakash, secretary of KVCC, led the parade with this Wolseley Siddely – previously owned by the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in West Bengal.
It started after a few hiccups, but was still the car that seemed to have the crowds awestruck.
The owners of vintage motorbikes stood proud beside their prized possessions as well, and several bike enthusiasts admired the vintage metal stallions, which included a 1931 Aerial, a 1938 James, a 1941 Indian 750, a 1941 Triumph Military 350, a 1949 Military Matchless, a 1954 Lambretta Scooter, two well-restored Nortons from 1938 and 1963, and several roaring Jawas.
Among the cars in the parade were many that drew the crowd’s attention. A 1928 Lanchester St. 8, 1929 Ford Model A, a gleaming silver 1937 Sunbeam Talbot two-Liter, a 1949 Buick, a sprawling 1956 Plymouth, an eye-catching Jaguar E Type, a 1969 Ford Mustang, very reminiscent of the “swingin’ sixties”, and a sporty 1972 Mini 1000.
Bygone era
H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP, Bangalore South, flagged off the parade, and mentioned that these vintage cars reminded us of a bygone era. “The owners must be appreciated for their commitment and efforts in preserving and maintaining the vehicles,” he added.
R. Ramesh, who owns a 1962 Citroen said, “I’ve owned this two-cylinder beauty for almost two years now. I am really happy with it and it is something I will always treasure.” Also present were several enthusiasts who did not own any of the vintage vehicles in the parade, but had simply come to appreciate these historical treats of the automobile industry.
‘Out of this world’
One such enthusiast Vivek Pandey said, “The cars and motorcycles that came here today were truly out of this world. I’ve been in a frenzy running from one car to the other admiring them all. I hope to have my own vintage collection someday.”
