It started with a Sunbeam-Talbot 2 Litre. In a tale well-seasoned by many tellings, Dr. Ravi Prakash narrates how he came across the car, which belonged to an Army General, during a trip to Sholavaram to attend a rally in 1979. After deciding that the quoted price was too high, he gave up hope of owning the car, though he helped out the family when the General had a mishap that required hospitalisation. Early the next year, Ravi was informed that the General had passed away and left the car to him. “I later found out that the high price was just a way to find a genuinely interested buyer. The car was like a child for the couple, and they wanted it to be in good hands,” says Ravi. This car was the start of a collection that has grown over the years, and now comprises of 225 vintage cars, 40 carriages and 60 motorcycles, not to mention bicycles, most of which are stored at the family farm in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
Ravi cultivated a love for cars from a very young age, aided by a father who was also fond of them. He started driving in his teens, taking the family Ambassador to Coimbatore to get a diesel engine fitted, getting into the thriving motorcycle racing scene in Mysore, and eventually going on to compete in rallies driving Ambassadors and Fiats. “I raced from 1979-1984, and took around 72 victories in different categories put together. I always knew practising medicine and rallying could not go hand in hand, so I hung up my gloves after competing in the first Charminar Rally in 1984. It was a gruelling 4,000 mile event, which we won,” he reminisces.
A major contributing factor in his endeavour has been the support of his family; wife Sabena and daughters Shefali and Rupali, who have also taken part in events in Ravi’s cars. Rupali, who is a classic automotive illustrator making custom merchandise for vintage car clubs across the world through her brand Classic Chase, explains that growing up around vintage cars teaches one to respect them. “I don’t like to talk about my father’s collection in terms of numbers, because that takes away the emotional appeal these vehicles have. People often ask us about the problems associated with vintage cars, like reliability. What they don’t realise is that these cars are a connect to a past era, and many of them were built for a different time and meant to be operated in different weather. You have to understand these limitations and appreciate them.”
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Ravi’s cars are regulars in events around Bengaluru, and he maintains a few vehicles abroad to participate in overseas events. His 1907 Oldsmobile has the distinction of participating in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, driven by Rupali. Closer home, two of his cars were featured in the Malayalam film
A few cars in the collection are also let out for events, which Rupali explains is a way for the family to share the joy of classic cars with others. “Usually it is only us and close friends and family who get to experience these cars. A good thing about these vehicles is that you don't necessarily need to have a lot of knowledge about them to enjoy them. For most, it is about the pleasure of going back in time." Rupali, who previously worked at a firm developing board games, decided to do automotive illustration and help out her father to highlight the importance of preserving classic cars. "There are a lot more people and clubs interested in classic cars abroad, but the situation here is improving. It is important for this generation to realise the need to preserve these cars, because if we don't, that need will go away."
To this end, Ravi has been working on establishing an automotive history museum near his farm, which he hopes to begin work on by the end of this year. "The goal is not so much to create a museum as it is to develop an automotive history evolution centre. I want people to see the growth of automobiles to reach where we are today, and to make an experience that is not just of interest to car lovers, but also historians," he says.
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When it does come up and Ravi's cars roll out of his garages to take up place there, it will be the results of years of painstaking effort, which Rupali has seen firsthand. "Some of the vehicles in the condition came to us in very poor condition, and my father had to find parts for them over many years, until finally he would have enough for his team of mechanics to work on restoring the car. Some of the vehicles have taken seven to 10 years to restore, but that feeling you get when that vehicle you saw arrive finally comes to life, it is something special."