Braving the summer heat, a convoy of yesteryear vehicles wound through the streets of south Kolkata on Sunday to compete in a time-speed-distance (TSD) rally, transporting spectators to the era of the sixties and seventies when Ambassadors, Fiats and Standards ruled the streets.
Today, these marquees are vintage with the manufacturers having stopped production. Passing on to being Indian heritage cars, the Premier Padminis and Ambassadors were equipped with steering gears and dashboards that look alien today. It takes precision and expertise to handle such vintage classics and the Eastern India Motoring Group (EIMG) Indian Heritage Car Rally 2024 was a rally that put a test to such driving skills.
A total of 24 such vehicles participated in the rally, which saw marquees such as the Fiat 1100 Lusso of 1961 make, a 1957 Landmaster, a 1952 Hindustan 14, a 1955 Standard 10, a 1958 Standard Vanguard and a couple of Maruti 800s of 1991 and 1987 make. There were also several variants of Contessas participating in the rally.
The Kolkata Automotive Sports Association (KASA) and the Automobile Association of Eastern India (AAEI) jointly organised the EIMG Indian Heritage Car Rally 2024 that brought together a motoring legacy of 35 years.
The rally started from the premises of the AAEI at nine in the morning and travelled a distance of 35km in peak summer heat, maintaining a pace of 30 km per hour. An all-women’s team of Sreerupa Sirkar, Dipasree Gangul and Anuja Kumar drove a Contessa.
Of the 24 cars, 15 completed the rally negotiating 15 hidden time control zones.
Time Control Zones are spots on the rally route where the speed of the vehicles is noted. If cars arrive at the time control zones before or after the designated time, points are deducted.
“The secret time control points added an element of suspense and strategy to the competition,” said Debasish Bhattacharjee, secretary of KASA.
“The EIMG Indian Heritage Car Rally 2024 proved to be a riveting testament to India’s rich automotive heritage and the artistry of precision driving,” said Prabir Roy, secretary of AAEI, one of the organisers of the event.
“The rally not only celebrated the timeless charm of vintage automobiles but also paid homage to the enduring spirit of Indian motoring culture. As participants navigated the route, they not only reminiscenced about the old automotive designs but also embraced the camaraderie that unites auto enthusiasts of all generations,” said Bhattacharjee.