A bevy of ageless beauties turned heads at Lake Club on Sunday.
A 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30, a 1948 Bentley Mark VI, and a 1925 AC Royal were among more than 70 vintage cars parked on show.
The Eastern India Motoring Group (EIMG) Concours D’ Elegance 2026 — now in its fifth edition — drew car enthusiasts and ordinary folks keen to make the most of a late-winter Sunday.
The EIMG is a group of vintage car owners founded by restorer-collector Shrivardhan Kanoria, who is the president. Veteran rallyist Subhajit Kumar is the secretary.
The competition was divided into several categories depending on the year of make of the vehicles, starting from cars built up to 1930.
Music, finger food and fun events accompanied the competitive programme.
“The heritage vehicles were judged based on authenticity, restoration, maintenance, provenance, rarity and personal connection with the owner,” said Kanoria, who headed the judges’ panel.
A 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Limousine owned by Krish Ajmera was declared the winner.
A 1948 Bentley Mark VI owned by Azam Monem came second, and Prithvi Nath Tagore’s 1958 Mercedes-Benz 180 A came third.
The cars had more to them than just looks. They came with delightful nuggets from the past.
A rare German car, Adler, manufactured in 1938, was a crowd puller. Now owned by former police officer Gadai Chandra Dey, the car was buried after the owner of the vehicle heard in 1939
that it would be impounded by the American army for its officers serving during
World War II. It was later salvaged in 1965 and completely restored.
A 1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe, once driven by legendary singer and composer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and now owned by Swapan Kumar Lahiri, was on display. As was a Saurjya Pratim Mitra’s 1937 Ford 7W10.
Some of the other stunners on display were Avik Naha’s 1948 Rover 14 P2, Siddharth Swarup’s 1947 Wolseley 14, Sarmistha Hazra’s 1965 Hillman Imp and Sarojesh Mukerjee’s 1958 Standard Vanguard.
“With the Sarobar in the backdrop and clear blue sky above, the sprawling green lawns of the Lake Club make for the perfect setting for a memorable rendezvous with motoring heritage,” said Kumar, secretary of the EIMG.
Nitin G. Dossa, founder, director and chairman of The Vintage and Classic Car
Club of India, was the guest of honour.