In the sweltering April of 2000, amidst the roaring chaos of Kolkata’s last National Rally Championship — the EMSA Wild Run Rally — vintage car enthusiast Shrivardhan Kanoria’s eyes caught something far more intriguing than rally cars and race dust. At the Victoria Memorial’s rear gate, as rally teams flagged off towards Jhargram, Shrivardhan was swept away in a Ford Escort alongside the late Partha Sadhan Bose, the founder of EMSA and the rally organiser, also a vintage car collector and a family friend to the Kanorias.
Little did he know that an impromptu trip would change the course of his family’s vintage car legacy.
At the Jhargram Rajbari, where rally participants had set up camp, Bose casually pointed towards the rear garage during a quiet tea session. “There’s an old Buick lying there,” he remarked. Curious and unable to resist, Shrivardhan made his way through the dusk shadows. What he discovered was more than just a car. Behind half-open gates, coated in the twilight of time, stood a 1948 Buick Super 8 — WGM 12. The whitewall tires had fossilised from disuse, but they held shape. And even in the failing light, Shrivardhan knew he had found a crown jewel.
A seven-year pursuit
Shashi Kanoria had long searched for a Buick Super 8. Its sighting sparked what would become a seven-year-long chase
His father, Shashi Kanoria, a restorer of vintage and classic cars, had long searched for a Buick Super 8. That sighting sparked what would become a seven-year-long chase. The car belonged to two royal brothers of the Jhargram Rajbari, who refused to sell it. Undeterred, Shrivardhan began calling them twice a month, hoping for a change of heart. For years, the answer remained unchanged: “Not for sale.”
But in 2007, fortune shifted. A local car broker called Shashi Kanoria with a surprise — “The brothers have agreed.” Without delay, father and son packed their car and a recovery crane, and headed to Jhargram. “We didn’t want anyone else to catch wind,” Shrivardhan recalls.
The great escape from Jhargram
Towed over 150 km, the car took six hours to reach Kolkata from Jhargram
Arriving at the Rajbari during breakfast, they were served luchi-alu dum — the best Shrivardhan remembers ever having. But, this was no leisurely brunch. After a brief negotiation in the chandeliered (and noticeably faded) drawing room, the deal was signed. Not a rupee was haggled.
The car, resting for over five decades, had its brakes jammed and tires long dead. With a hired crane, spare tires, tubes, and a team of mechanics in tow, the Kanorias rolled the vehicle out. Original light blue with a silver top, superficial rust only highlighted its untouched beauty. The Buick bore just 10,242 miles on its odometer. Even the bone steering wheel and pedal rubbers looked barely used.
A rusted air cleaner, corroded carburetor, and a self-starter were missing — until an 85-year-old former chauffeur appeared. For Rs 25,000, he reluctantly handed them over. “Even in his frailty, he knew what he had,” Shrivardhan laughs.
Towed over 150 km, the car took six hours to reach Kolkata fastened to a square tow bar. No flatbeds then — only faith and planning.
A father’s dream realised
“Black always looked best on a Buick,” Shrivardhan said, echoing his father, Shashi Kanoria's sentiment.
Once home, the Buick was restored over the next two years under the supervision of Shashi Kanoria. The car’s body was rust-free — no hammer marks, no filler scars, just factory-original panels. It was painted black, in homage to the family’s first Buick from the 1950s. While many restorers prefer original shades, the Kanorias made a sentimental choice. “Black always looked best on a Buick,” Shrivardhan said, echoing his father, Shashi Kanoria's sentiment.
The most remarkable part? The engine — an inline eight-cylinder — was never opened up. “Only 10,000 miles. Touching it would’ve been foolish,” he states. The suspension, with coil springs instead of leaf springs, allowed the car to glide — an engineering marvel in 1948, still unmatched today.
The Buick debuted at The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally in 2009 and picked up trophies, drawing attention as one of India’s most pristine American classics.
A new custodian, a new chapter
For the Naha family, the connection to the Buick Super 8 ran deeper than admiration — it was ancestral
In 2021, the car found a new home. Avik Naha, a lifelong friend of Shrivardhan and a fellow enthusiast, had pursued the car gently over conversations. His pitch wasn’t about engines or heritage — it was about blessings. “By virtue of this car, I want Shashi babu’s blessings,” he told Shrivardhan. That struck home.
For the Naha family, the connection to the Buick Super 8 ran deeper than admiration — it was ancestral. Back in the 1950s, the Nahas owned a Buick of the same make, model, and colour. Avik’s father would often recount tales of road trips to Tirupati in their Super 8, marvelling at its power, comfort, and the effortless hill climbs. This memory became a quiet, powerful reason for Avik’s pursuit — he wanted to bring back a piece of his father's youth.
The Buick passed into Naha’s hands not as a sale, but as a gesture of legacy. Today, the car lives in Behala, where every Sunday, Naha starts the engine and lets it hum to life. His daughter calls it “her Biuck” and insists on it for school rides or ice cream runs. For the Naha family, the car isn’t just vintage — it’s kin. Though Avik’s father was ailing by the time the car arrived, he did get to see the Buick from his window and hear its engine start — rekindling old memories one last time, even if he never got to ride it again.
Memory on wheels
Since coming to Naha, the Jhargram Buick has participated in the 21 Gun Salute Concours in Baroda in 2021, hosted at the royal palace
The Naha household maintains the car meticulously. His wife stitches protective seat covers for storage. The car has even taught Avik to become his own mechanic — learning the intricacies of timing systems, distributors, and original parts.
Since coming to Naha, the Jhargram Buick has participated in the 21 Gun Salute Concours in Baroda in 2021, hosted at the royal palace — a fitting venue for a car born in royalty and nurtured by passion. It has continued to compete in the EIMG Concours in Kolkata, consistently earning accolades.
For both families — Kanoria and Naha — the Buick is more than steel and chrome. It’s a symbol of preservation, perseverance, and profound emotional legacy. From royal garages to rally routes, from dusk-sighting in Jhargram to dawn-drives in Kolkata, the elusive Jhargram Buick remains a time capsule on wheels — untouched, unyielding, unforgettable.
