Chakraborty checks out the Skoda Superb at The Telegraph Auto Carnival 2009

Who would have known Sabyasachi “Feluda” Chakraborty was so adept at handling cars? Whenever time permits he jumps into his Sumo Victa and goes off the beaten track.

“There are so many adventures that I had with my Sumo! It broke down so many times and we fixed it in such ingenious ways,” said Chakraborty, the actor who plays the famous Bengali detective Feluda, inaugurating The Telegraph Auto Carnival 2009 presented by SBI.

From fixing a leaking oil tank with Lifebuoy soap to repairing a broken tie rod, Chakraborty knows how to handle his four-wheeler, be it on the sets of Tintorettor Jishu where he did his own car stunts or in the middle of Betla forest.

“I am happy to be here because I get to check out the latest models,” he said. He inspected each of the 14 beauties parked at the outdoor venue of 22 Camac Street. From small hatches like the Chevvy Spark to road monsters like the Fortuner and Endeavour, the fair had them all. Even bike enthusiasts had their pick from the Yamaha R15, the Hero Honda ZMR and the Yamaha Fazer.

“We have had a tremendous response,” said Ravi Rastogi of Yamaha who bagged a spot booking within three hours of the fair opening.

But what caught the eye was the small red, thoroughly retro-looking Fiat Cinquecento. The most expensive car in the fair priced at Rs 15 lakh, the Cinquecento sat ensconced between Mahindra’s new Multi-Utility Vehicle Xylo and Toyota’s elegant sedan Camry.

“It’s the star attraction of the carnival,” said an official of Tata, which markets and distributes Fiat vehicles.

The carnival offered complete solution to car buyers. Loans were available from SBI at a fixed rate of interest of 8 per cent in the first year. The bank had an endorser in Chakraborty who said: “I bought my Sumo Victa with an SBI car loan.”