It is a day of vivid memories as Praveen a businessman feasts his eyes on the classic Willys ready to drive. As he poses next to his vintage car, with his father by his side, the pride and glow in his eyes is hard to miss. “It was my grandpa’s vehicle, with a 50-year-old history, which was rusting in our garage. My grandmother wanted to sell it off for Rs.5000,” recalls Praveen. But the car enthusiast did not want to let go off his prized possession. “It is a beautiful memory filling us with joy each time we look at it. Also, it is a classic car,” he points out. With Rs. 18 lakh, Praveen got it refurbished and now it sits pretty as a participant in different car shows. Welcome to the world of custom-made cars and jeeps where the passionate drive with oomph and style. The four-wheelers, including the vintage ones are specifically customised to suit individual tastes and fancies.
A few weeks ago, a team of eight Hyderabadis including Venkat Devinini created ripples with their trip to Leh, Ladakh. The talk of envy was Venkat’s custom-made jeep with enhanced features including a changed hardtop and bumpers. “I like to stand unique among a crowd. Driving a jeep is also unusual. One understands the feeling only when you drive it,” states Venkat with a smile. The team went to Khardung La, near Ladakh, the highest motorable pass in the world. Venkat recollects an incident, where the winch installed in his jeep was a saving factor: “With the customised winch, we were able to rescue and pull around 200 people,” he recalls.
Hub of all customisation In the bustling Kukatpally area, as you take a left turn opposite Metro shopping mall, there is a different kind of cacophony at New Mars Enterprises. It is hard to pick the most beautiful among a bevy of beauties lined up here. With their classic body, elegant curves and awe-inspiring designs…the allure of custom-made cars and jeeps is hard to resist for any auto enthusiast. Its owner Rajasekhar Prabhu talks of the ‘car-ismatic’ affair in his life which began with his automobile engineering degree. “I was always interested in cars,” he exults, sipping a fruit juice. After a brief stint with rally driver Tirumala Rao, Rajasekhar went to Delhi to gain some practical experience. “I wanted to get some practical knowledge and understand the way different types of engines work and their mechanism,” he recalls. Armed with this training, he came back and worked in his brother’s construction business before he got bored and shifted to his passion.
At his centre, Rajasekhar talks of the hardtop installation that’s attracting aficionados. “The installation comes like a canvas and it is easy to remove the knobs and take photographs, go on a safari or just enjoy the breeze while on a drive,” explains Rajasekhar. Fuelled with his passion and expertise, Rajasekhar says the onus is not just to make something exclusive and luxurious. “It has to be practical and street legal too,” he points out. His friend Arun Parikshit talks of the drag race Rajsekhar took part in 2009. There’s also a mega racing jeep staring at onlookers specially built for Rain Forest Challenge. “The engine is from a generator, gearbox from a truck and tyres from a landrover,” says Rajsekhar showing us the racing beauty. “He has not done anything normal,” quips Arun.
Exclusive and elite are some of the words one thinks of when one looks around. A black Scorpio with its changed front vies for your attention. “It has been extended by seven inches so that there is more room,” says Rajasekhar. A 4X4 beauty in blue is a truck with a paint which gives a prism effect. “The truck is used to carry camping equipment including a generator,” he adds. The customisation and makeover promises to make cars and its owners feel very special.
