In a beautiful house tucked away in the quiet neighbourhood of Dodsworth Enclave, Whitefield, lives Sulaiman Jamal, who would be the envy of any car lover. Jamal, the managing director of Bevel Gears (India), doesn't deny that his position as the president of the Karnataka Vintage and Classic Cars Club is the ‘fun part' of life.
Jamal's love for classic cars pushed him to move to Whitefield in the 90s. “I needed more space to park my cars and I couldn't stand commuting in the heavy traffic of Indiranagar where I lived,” he says.
Jamal's passion for old-world things — evident in his love of vintage and classic cars, and antique furniture — feels Whitefield is the perfect abode for his four-wheel beauties.
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He says: “When the cars were brought here, it felt like cattle coming back home in the evening. The cars wanted to be here.” Jamal owns 23 cars and spends quality time with his machines, driving and even working on them himself.
His collection includes a 1934 Austin 14, which is also the first vintage car he owned, a Daimler, once owned by the Mysore maharaja, and a 1957 Mercedes 219 ‘Ponton', which he says is one of his favourites. He loves his cars for their simplicity of design and engineering.
His fascination with the classic has motivated him to be an active member of the Whitefield Club. The club, is over a 100 years old. He says, “We want the club to retain its identity and be awarded a heritage status.”
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The settlers, who made Whitefield, have sadly gone back into their shell amidst the rampant commercialisation. Jamal intends to show his gratitude to the older residents of the area by adding some moments of joy to their lives: “I want to take them on a drive around Whitefield in my open-top classic cars,” he says.