For the third year in a row, the Alipore Museum and Classic Drivers Club linked up for the annual Vintage and Classic Cars and Bike Show with vintage beauties bringing huge footfall to the museum.
One car on display was brought in for its very first appearance at a vintage car event, that too, all the way from Mumbai. This Cadillac Series 62 Convertible 1949 model owned by Anil Mohan Kamat, chairman & managing director, MG Automotives (Bus & Coach) Pvt Ltd, once belonged to the maharaja of Jaipur and was among Gayatri Devi’s favourites.
Kamat said, “It’s a huge honour to have this car with me today, restored to its original glory. Being a trustee of the Classic Drivers Club and supporting this event as a sponsor is very special, because we want to build nationwide recognition for the club and promote the legacy of these heritage vehicles. Bringing the car from Mumbai to Kolkata for the show at the Alipore Museum has been a fantastic experience. The turnout, the passion, and the respect people here have for vintage and classic automobiles is truly encouraging and humbling.”
Thirty bikes turned heads at the museum. This year's edition saw a larger collection of two wheelers on display
Not just vintage cars and classics, art, too, drew attention during the event with Urban Sketchers Kolkata turning up in numbers to sketch the cars. On display were also pedal cars, a unique addition this time
A special exhibit at the show was this AP Custom, owned by Anish Poddar, who has a fleet of exotic cars.
Once a regular in Kolkata’s vintage car circuit, this 1949 Buick Super Eight is currently owned by Gajendra Chandra Singh of Nayagarh. This car was brought in for the show from Ranchi.
Several cars and bikes were recognised by Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for their restoration. Of those were SA Hossain’s 1924 Panther Sloper, a 1947 Ariel Red Hunter owned by Harjit Singh Dhanjal and Anirudha Ghose’s 1933 BMW R4
Prithvi Nath Tagore poses with the chassis of a 1928 Austin 7 Chummy, which he is currently restoring. The car is part of the Pranlal Bhogilal collection.
