Kriti Choudhary with his prized possesion in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Kiriti Choudhury is a doctor by profession. His inclination though are towards something that most call a millionaire?s eccentricity. Choudhury collects antique artifacts ? everything from old-world telephones with separate receivers and mouthpieces, to vintage cars.

Choudhury, who has a busy schedule, has two vintage cars, named Viny and Dolly. Viny, an 1932 Austin Tourer model, joined the Choudhury family in 1977. She soon found company in Dolly, a 1935 Ford.

Choudhury is maniacally possessive about his cars. He developed an inclination for vintage cars when he was just a kid. He then did not have money to buy them though. ?When I started practising, I thought of giving shape to my dream of collecting antiques and vintage cars in particular. The first of them, the Austin Tourer, was dedicated to my mother,? says a proud Choudhury.

Talking about the speciality of his vintage collection, Choudhury says, ?The mechanism of the cars are very simple. Both have three gears and one reverse. Today, most cars have five gears plus the reverse gear. The Austin has a system for controlling the accelerator in the steering wheel itself, one utility which no car possesses till date,? said Choudhury. The material and the mechanism used in these cars is not as tender as they are these days and that makes maintenance of these vehicles easier. The technology is simple and most people with a basic knowledge of vintage cars can fix minor troubles, and sometimes even complicated ones, on their own. Spares, if not available in the market, can be manufactured using lathe machines, added Choudhury. ?Maintaining a vintage car is not easy though. It needs devotion, hard work and money,? he says.

?It is almost fantastic the way these cars jump into action as soon as the ignition is turned on. The cars, even the ones unused for months do not create starting problems, says Kiriti?s son and as much a vintage enthusiast,? Pinaki Choudhury.

Choudhury is emotionally attached to his cars. He has reasons to be as these cars have been a part of some of his most cherished memories. Viny, a star attraction at a vintage car rally in 1984, won Choudhury the first prize for best performance of a car manufactured between 1930 and 1935. Viny was driven from Ranchi to Calcutta to participate in a rally covering a 38-km stretch from Eastern Command stadium to Dum Dum airport. ?I never thought I would win the prize. I also won the best maintained car beating 50 Austin cars. In fact, I thought that I would win a prize for coming from such a distance to participate in the contest. But I was disheartened on seeing a person from as far as Assam participating in the rally,? beams Choudhury.

Choudhury puts his cars to use regularly and even travels from his residence to his clinic on Church Road on them. Sometimes, he even takes the cars to the Main Road market. He, however, is not happy with the attitude of the people around. ?Once, after I returned to the parking zone in Gopal Complex, I was shocked to see that someone had spat on the front seat of my car. I take extra precaution and park my car at safe places. There is no dearth of nuisance in our city,? he fumes.

Choudhury loves to hear the various stories people concoct about his cars. ?When I went to Chas with my family, I overheard a villager saying that the car belongs to the Maharaja of Ratu. Thankfully, someone interrupted and disagreed with the assumption. It was interesting to seeing two strangers argue passionately about the true owner of my car,? says Choudhury.

Choudhury also has a fascinating collection of other antiques, all in working condition. He proudly displays his treasures, which include a Petromax with the fuel store upside-down, a jewellry box in the shape of a vintage car and a 1956 Lambretta scooter. Connoisseurs like Kiriti are few, and Ranchi is only proud to have one, especially as he doubles as an efficient and compassionate doctor.

Abhijeet Mukherjee