A driving passion

Nothing can affect Ashirbad Praharaj’s passion for collecting die-cast model cars

May 13, 2015 05:56 pm | Updated 05:56 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Ashirbad Praharaj holding his prized Pink Cadillac. Photo: S. Mahinsha

Ashirbad Praharaj holding his prized Pink Cadillac. Photo: S. Mahinsha

There is a look of pride in Ashirbad Praharaj as he introduces me to his assortment of cars. And no wonder. There are Mustangs, Pontiacs; Land Rovers, Porsches… But, wait a minute, is that a Pink Cadillac? And isn’t that a Dodge Charger, the kind Dom drove in Fast and the Furious ?

Smiling, Ashirbad picks up the Cadillac from the shelf. Yes, you read it right, ‘pick’ and ‘shelf’, for Ashirbad’s collection are die-cast model cars of the real thing. Says Ashirbad: “I got this Cadillac from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, in California, United States. It’s a model of Elvis Presley’s Cadillac. The Dodge Charger is from a small town called Buffalo in Canada. I heard that there was a seller who had a matt black Dodge Charger with him while I was vacationing at the Niagara Falls. I made sure he kept his shop open long into the night just for me.”

Each of his cars, he has around 102, most of them in the scale of 1/24, has a tale behind it. He takes a yellow Ford Torino gingerly from his neatly arranged shelf. “I travelled 14 miles on foot while in New York for this piece. It’s a rare find as there are only a handful of Ford Torinos released in this particular colour. The seller was an elderly woman who was rather reluctant to part with it. She told me to look after it well.”

This passion for cars, according to Ashirbad, comes from his father, Satyapir, an engineer, who was keen that his sons develop a love and respect for the vehicle. “I could change a flat tyre when I was nine and could service the carburetor by the time I was 11.” The automobile world was also opened to him through various automobile books his dad owned and his very first toy car – a Porsche.

“Maybe it was the quality of goods those days, but that Porsche has stood the test of time despite me throwing it, stamping on it… as a kid. I still have the car with me. I guess that car fuelled my interest in collecting scaled models.”

The realisation that shopping for ‘real’ cars would cause a dent in his pocket also led him to focus his attention on die-cast model cars instead. “It merges the love of the automobiles with the childhood pleasure of playing with toys. The attention to detail and the relative scarcity make them fine collectibles too,” says Ashirbad, who has moved from driving a Fiat Premier Padmini to a battered Maruti 800 to a Tata Safari.

A part of his first salary was incidentally spent on a die-cast green Porsche GTS at a shop in Chandigarh. As his job in the hospitality industry takes him across the globe, Ashirbad, who is currently General Manager at The Taj Gateway Hotel, Varkala, chooses to buy die-cast car models in the 1/24 scale as it is easier to pack and transport while shifting. “The detailing on these scales is decent. Doors open to detailed interiors, hoods open to an engine, the wheels, suspension and steering functions work…”

His hobby, however, is rare. “There are few in India who pursue it as it is a very time consuming one. This Ford 1932 variant took me the most time to find as I was looking for a particular colour – black with red coach stripes and detailing. Finally, when I found it with an American dealer, I bought it. E-commerce sites are a boon as one can browse for what one wants and forums help direct you to a seller who has what you want.”

The hobby is also an expensive one as most of the die-cast model cars are only available abroad and require additional shipping charges. “I am lucky my in-laws are in the U.S.. I usually ask the sellers to ship it to them and they later ship it down to me or by friends and relatives.”

One cannot be indecisive while shopping for cars. If you like it, you should snap it up immediately, says Ashirbad. “That is because most of these cars are limited releases.”

This passionate collector plans to import some Ferraris and rare Mercedes next. He also hopes to devote an entire room to his cars one day. “My wife, Padma, who is otherwise very supportive of the hobby occasionally cribs that my cars eat into her space. One day, when we are finally settled, I want a room for my cars that is open to the public. Some of these models of cars are familiar to our generation as we have seen them being driven. In years to come these cars will be limited to just photographs. I want them preserved for posterity.” With his children, Aditee and Arjun showing signs of interest in following their dad’s line of hobby, it looks like he will have help.

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