50 Vintage and Classic Cars. Participants from India, England, France & Sri Lanka.
It started with everyone getting together on 30th September 2018 at the Vidhan Soudha, Bangalore with the Chief Minister of Karnataka flagging off the event. All the cars then with the participants headed to Mysore. I am sure not many had in mind what they were about to witness that evening.
Mysore city came to a standstill for about 25 minutes while the 50 cars went around the city with a Police convoy, leaving the residents and tourists at Mysore in admiration enroute to the Mysore Palace.
To see the grand Mysore Palace illuminated, specially for the event, is a big deal. I am told it has never happened before. See the photographs for yourself with the Cars and Royal Elephants in the foreground and the lit up palace in the background.
It so happens in such instances that I have to put aside my cameras for a bit and just absorb what I am witnessing. It’s an overwhelming feeling. I think being always behind the camera we miss out on the reality. But work is work, I guess.
The following day, on the 1st October, the cars drove around Mysore city again, only this time it was with the Royal Elephants in the morning. A few cars and the participants then headed to Chamundi Hills to offer prayers and take a drive around the hills. It was wonderful to make photographs of cars on the hills.
Then there was the Slalom Test, which everyone was kicked about. Honestly, I had imagined that people would be careful these cars and may take it easy but the test got the best out of the drivers and the cars.
There were participants from different walks of life, one shared emotion between all - love for their cars. Genuine love. To drive these cars in warmer temperatures without lot of the luxuries like air conditioning, synchronised gearbox, power steering and so on, isn't easy and certainly not for eveyrone.
Most owners drove their cars on their own. An English couple who owned the oldest car at the event, a 1925 Lanchester 40HP Tourer, flew down to Bombay and then drove that car all the way to Bangalore —> Mysore —> I think either Jaisalmer or Jodhpur —> Bombay. Passion. There is no age limit to having a good time in your life.
Surely, looks all fancy owning a Vintage or a Classic Car but believe me when I say that a lot of hard work goes into maintaining them. Yup, more than you can imagine.
I have come to a point where I may one day love to own a vintage bike, and maybe a car if I know I will be able to do justice to it. There’s a different charm about these vintage and classic beauties. I love the design language in all of these cars. So creative, well thought after, so colourful, and so on, compared to the monotonous car designs we see today.
I'll let my photographs speak for themselves and take you through the Federation of Historic Vehicles of India's maiden event. It'll surely be one of the best projects I’ve gotten. Thank you FHVI for considering me for this project, I am grateful.
I have learnt a lot (not too much technically) about the cars in the past year. I am grateful to Dr. Ravi Prakash and his family for being kind and letting me into this world of Vintage & Classic cars via photography. For sure, this has got me very interested in knowing more about so many more cars and experiences out there. As someone passionate about cars and how they work, this was my foray into understanding an appreciating the legacy, passion and machinery behind cars that very few people know how to make today.
I have met some really cool and passionate people in the past year. Thankful to all of them.
I hope to create more content which involves vintage and classic cars and share the photographs and experience with you all here.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
