Timeless beauties hogged the limelight on a pleasant Sunday afternoon along East Coast Road between the temple town and sea resort of Mamallapuram and Chennai.
Everyone travelling on the scenic beachway turned their heads to have a better look as one after another of those graceful vehicles whirred past.
As many as 40 vintage cars, that had taken part in The Hindu Chennai-Pondy Heritage Car Rally, reached the Union Territory of Puducherry on Saturday.
On Sunday, during their return to Chennai, there was a pit stop at GRT Radisson Resort Temple Bay, Mamallapuram. After lunch, the vehicles returned to the city. Near the toll plaza, passengers craned their necks out of buses to have a look at these cars. At Akkarai checkpost, young men on motorcycles stopped their vehicles and were awe-struck at the sight of the cars and tried to capture images and videos on their mobile phones.
Balraj Vasudevan, president of the Madras Heritage Motoring Club, recalled that when a similar rally was organised last year along with Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation and Puducherry Tourism, the club and its members struggled a lot. “Thanks to The Hindu 's support, a lot of load has been taken off our shoulders this year,” he said and also appealed to more people to send their vintage cars to such rallies. A total of 38 vintage cars reached Puducherry and 11 from the Union Territory joined them in a four-hour long display near the beach. “More than 20,000 people were present. It is also a success to the endurance of the vintage cars that have completed a journey of 320 kilometres in two days.
