The 9th edition of 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally and Concours d'Elegance was flagged off from India Gate last week. SHALINI SAKSENA tells you what makes this 4000 km royal expedition special
In 2011 when the first edition of the 21 Gun Salute Heritage Cultural Trust in association with the Ministry of Tourism was flagged off, nobody would have though that nine years down the line it would only grow from strength to strength and attract international participation, be covered by 20 international magazines and would bring 100s of rarest of rare vintage cars on to its platform. the ninth edition, was more than just display of rich automotive heritage that paid tribute to the golden era of the automotive industry; it was also about celebrating the country’s rich heritage. The 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally & Concours d'Elegance has grown to become one of the most anticipated and talked-about automobile events of Asia.
This salute to the spirit of motoring will showcase rare vintage cars in the world like the 1938 Rolls-Royce 25/30, Maserati 3500GT Vignale Syder, 1939 Buick Roadmaster Convertible, 1959 Jaguar XK 150 S, 1951 Bentley MK VI Freestone and 1959 Alfa 2000 to name just a few. The rally will cover 17 cities, 4000 km in 23 days that will be a tribute to the motoring and historic Indian culture. The rally, after 17check-in stops, will end in the City of Lakes — Udaipur — on March 10, 2020 with the the participants enjoying the Festival of Colours — Holi.
Madan Mohan, chairman and managing trustee of 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust tells you that India’s culture and heritage motoring are the two strong pillars of the competition. “Both aspects highlight that the show is of special importance and attract both participants and visitors. For the past eight years, the event has grown in all aspects to become a magnificent show that attracts tourists and motoring buffs from around the world,” Mohan says.
He tells you that the idea is the rally is not to just show the rarest of rare vintage cars that compete but it is a step in generating interest in global tourists to experience the grandeur of India. “Along with international participation from 15 motoring enthusiasts from around the globe, the rally will be a biennial effort to promote India as a global motoring tourism destination on a global platform. It will also bring enormous tourist footprint to our country,” Mohan tells you who got the support of the Ministry of Tourism for the rally back in 2014.
The motoring enthusiasts along with their masterpieces will travel to unique destinations — which changes each year — stay at palaces of erstwhile maharajas, dine with royal families and visit the forts to build build lifelong bonds. And then there is the fact that while the entries this year is over a 100, each vintage car that will be on the road have never been showcased in the show before.
“The idea is to show people cars from different era and how the speed and cylinders changed over time. There are cars with a speed of 40 km an hour. Given that those were still times of horse-drawn carriages, this speed back in the early 1930s would have been phenomenal,” he says.
In order to judge these cars, there is a gathering of an international jury panel comprising 37 motoring experts and renowned classic car experts, Fédération International des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) officials, restoration experts, FIVA scrutineers, F-1 racers and other celebrated individuals from all over the world. The handpicked cars are given points on the basis of authenticity of cars, their style, design, rarity, the stitch on the upholstery, how authentic the colour is, how authentic the upholstery is and the entire car has been upgraded.
Mohan, who has 328 vintage cars, 43 jeeps and 106 bikes along with clocks, typewriters, and other antiques, has been a collector since he purchased his first-ever vintage car Dodge Victory 6, 1928, back in 2000, that was previously owned by Raja Saheb of Khetri.
“All these antiques have been painstakingly restored to their original glory. I scouts palaces and garages to look for abandoned vintage cars, buys them and then spends years in upgrading them. It is time consuming and an expensive hobby. One has to look for original parts or order them from the companies that are in the business of making these parts. Then comes the cost ofshipment. it is very rare that one will find a part here in India. It has to be imported.
“At each and every stage, there is a cost not to forget that the first six-eight months are spent in doing research on the car; its history and what made it special. Once that is done, the work on the car itself starts. Sometimes it takes months before we get a part or a specific upholstery. A lot of patience is required when you work on doing up a vintage car. But the satisfaction that comes from looking at the end result is worth all the hassle,” Mohan says.
Interestingly, Mohan is the face of the show and looks after the front management and it is his brother who spends hours toiling and restoring the cars. “My brother went for a course in vehicle restoration in the US when he was 46. He likes to stay in the background. While I do the marketing and am the face of the what we do,” Mohan says.