[vinay kamath]

" Behold the little old lady "
Nina C George Dec 15, 2015, DHNS

The 1954 Fiat Millecento.

The oldest member of the Musa family, she continues to command the same love, care and respect that she has been getting for three generations now. Time has not dented the charm of the grand old lady — a 1954 model of Fiat Millecento, who continues to be a headturner every time she hits the road.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...-old-lady.html

[vinay kamath]

" Meet the Beetle in the backyard "
Deccan Herald 22-12-2015

The lines between his family and the beauty in his parking lot have blurred ever since Aroon Sequeira bought his vintage car, a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle GDA 3244.

Apart from being an iconic cult machine, Aroon considers it a living, breathing car which occupies a space in the family as much as anyone else.

He began riding the dream of buying a vintage car as a child. "I think it's a boy thing," says the cheerful professional, who lives in Hennur. He had a penchant for automobiles as a young boy and loved watching them zip across the road. He soon grew to love the vintage kind and began collecting mechanical spare parts in his free time. But he wanted to go beyond just collecting spares and soon wished to own a vintage car.

He recalls, "A lot of people were already collecting vintage cars back then. It was becoming quite an 'expensive hobby'. I used to see owners have a lot of fun while going to rallies as well. I had just come back from Bahrain then and was settling in with my family. Luckily, my friend had a Volkswagen Beetle and I bought it from him in 2013. I wish to by many more vintage cars. I have no particular dream car as each is a classic on its own."

Though Aroon mentions that the roads here aren't conducive to driving vintage cars, he takes it out often and enjoys going to nearby places such as the church with his family.

However, he refrains from taking it out into the main city, especially on weekdays. He loves reactions which his Beetle garners whenever he drives it out with his family. "The first question is always whether the car runs on petrol or diesel. Soon, I find myself telling them stories of how and where I bought it."

Aroon participated in a vintage rally two months ago where he drove to Hoskote and back.

"We haven't got a chance to participate in many rallies but are looking forward to them." One among the Sequeira family now, the Beetle has been decorated with reindeer ears on its windows to celebrate the festive season by Candida, his wife, so that they can all enjoy Christmas together.

He doesn't let the onerous task of maintenance get in the way of his passion. He proudly mentions that his Beetle is generally operated by a renowned mechanic.

"Finding the right mechanic who is equipped with the knowledge and skill of handling vintage cars, in today's time, is actually done by networking with the right contacts. I'm lucky to have friends in this circuit who share my passion for vintage cars. They help me out in time."

Aroon finds a number of differences between the vintage cars and automated cars of today. He says, "The old and new cars can't even be compared. Vintage cars have a certain charm of their own. They help develop a human touch between the driver and the car whereas you don't feel one with the car in an automated machine. A vintage car involves the use of the human brain." And as his love for Germany and Volkswagen isn't satiated with one Beetle, he is planning on buying a Volkswagen micro van soon. As for the Beetle, he says, "It's a must-have in anyone's collection."

Anushka Sivakumar

For details, email Aroon at aroon_sequeira@hotmail.com

"We haven't got a chance to participate in many rallies but we are looking forward to them."

Aroon

[vinay kamath]

" Going retro, the king's way "
Deccan Herald March 31, 2015

It is not proven if a passion is passed on from genes. But the passion for vintage machines is surely in the genes in Sudhir Hegde’s family.

A businessman by profession, Sudhir is also a mechanical engineer who shares a close bond with vintage automobiles. His family of four is incomplete without its other three members — 1956 Dodge Kingsway MSQ7997, 1971 Volkswagen Beetle and the 1946 Matchless
motorcycle.

Sudhir loved vintage cars since he was a teenager. This love was passed on from his father who owned a 1946 Austin.

to read the entire article,
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...kings-way.html

[vinay kamath]

"Miscreants damage sixth Hyd Nizam's vintage car"

HYDERABAD: Unidentified miscreants damaged the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Throne car which belonged to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mehboob Ali Pasha.

This was made-to-order in 1911 on a London-Edinburgh chassis and restored at a princely sum of around Rs 1.5- 2 crore.

It is now covered on one side with polythene covers, to hide the scratches on the car, a not so pretty sight in the Chowmahalla Palace.

"My friends and I visited the palace to see the car. We were appalled to see that one side of the car was covered with plastic covers. When we asked the security guards they informed us that there were scratches on the door," said Yasar Khan, a tourist who was visiting the palace on Sunday.

Not just tourists, even G Kishan Rao, director Chowmahalla Palace, confirmed to TOI that there has been some exterior damage to the car. "Somebody has made marks on one side of the car, we are going through the CCTV footage to nail the culprits," he said.The car was delivered to the seventh Nizam Osman Ali Khan in 1912 after Pasha passed away. It was used only for ceremonial occasions. It was maintained by the Hyderabad State Railway at its garage. "During his career of 26 years in Hyderabad, the Nizam travelled in the car sparingly, which is why it had run only 356 miles," Rao said while adding that the car would be restored to its pristine condition after consultations with Rana Manvendra Singh Barwani of Indore.

The car with many special features was later re-bodied to reflect a 1930's style by the Nizam's railway workshop sometime in 1934. But it was restored and brought back to its original form and style by Barwani. While there is no record of the car's cost when the Nizam purchased it, its vintage worth is estimated to be over Rs 20 crore.

This elegant vintage car has become a matter of pride, because of its rich canary yellow body and gold mountings, lights and silver-finished roof.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/50347176.cms

[vinay kamath]

"The grand line-up"
Deccan Herald 29-12-15

A lawyer by profession, Manav Nagaraj’s love for vintage and classic vehicles didn’t bloom overnight. He grew up watching his father polish and maintain his fleet of vintage beauties. Manav recollects that he used to spend a lot of time with his father learning and understanding why these vehicles never lose their charm.

The family's grand line-up includes a 1968 model Lambretta LI, a 1954 British-made BSA 350 cc (plunger suspension) and a recently added 1952 Hillman Minx Sedan car.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...d-line-up.html

[vinay kamath]

"War or peace, the jeep rolls on"
Michael Patrao, April 15, 2015, DHNS

After World War II, Mahindra and Mahindra co-founder K C Mahindra went to the United States in his capacity as head of the Indian Supply Mission. He happened to meet Barney Roos, who had invented the Jeep, and became fascinated with this new vehicle design. Realising that the Jeep would be a perfect vehicle with which to navigate India's unpaved roads and rugged backcountry areas, Mahindra and his business partner brother J C Mahindra won the bid contract from Willys and began assembling Jeeps in India.

Mahindra initially used to import the CKDs (completely knocked down) Jeeps from Willys under licence and used to assemble them here. Later, under licence from Kaiser and Willys, they started manufacturing them in India.

However, when the CKD Jeeps came to India, they lost their charm. More and more Jeeps were converted to diesel, which was cheaper than petrol, and the steering was switched over to the right-hand side.

Mahindra and Mahindra (or M&M) began manufacturing light service vehicles in 1965 which retained much of the look and all of the ruggedness of the original Jeep design. Some of these Jeeps were stretched to odd lengths to serve as taxis and people-movers in rural areas. A 4x4 transfer case was unnecessary for masses hence a large number of Jeeps were re-operated and the transfer case was removed to reduce the weight from the Jeep.

High altitude

To a large extent, civilian Jeeps in India lost their 4x4 benefits except in high altitude areas like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam, and Manali in the north, and the hilly terrains of Western Ghats like Coorg, Chikkamagaluru and the Nilgiris in the South.

In 1974, Mahindra introduced the B275 (2350CC 38BHP 12Kgm@1,400rpm) International Harvester Co tractor engine on the CJ4A and called it the CJ500D. The CJ500D has been the mainstay of most government fleets.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...-rolls-on.html

[KPS]

Here is a article which came in Karnataka Today









There is a reference to my thread on the Dodge in Team BHP


Cheers

KPS

[vinay kamath]

"Meet the band of Beetles"
Deccan herald Jan 5, 2016

The 1961 Beetle.
It would be woefully wrong to talk about Ian Oberoi’s childhood without mentioning his affection and respect for cars, especially those of the vintage kind, and specifically, the Volkswagen Beetle.

“It was not very popular in India and wasn’t easy to spot. I knew more about the cars and who was selling them from newspapers and magazines. Sometimes, I would take detours on the way back home just to have a glimpse of the Beetle.”

After a long, patient wait, he bought his first ‘crush’, a 1961 stunning blue kite, in 1999. In 2004, he bought a 1970 model. He now drives both of them down town once a week or once in 10 days. “They don’t require much maintenance if we drive them often. A lot of people stop me at signals and ask me about the car. My Beetles have attracted so many smiles so far. I feel so glad that people understand the car as one that has life and character.”

to enjoy the complete article,
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...d-beetles.html

[vinay kamath]

"Tale of the black beauty" - Deccan Herald 12-01-2016

At the first available opportunity, Suraj and Roop jointly made their first ever purchase — a 1968 model of Volkswagen Beetle. “We fell in love with the car at first sight and we were after the owner asking him if he would sell it to us. He refused at first but he came around and sold it to us before relocating to another city. The joy we experienced when we bought our first car is something that lives on even to this day,” states Suraj.

The car was red when Suraj first bought it but he wasted no time changing the colour to black and also restoring it to a perfect condition. “Black is my favourite colour. My first bike — a 1978 model of Yezdi — was also black. My jeep is black and I also have a black Labrador that we’ve named Carbon. So, my obsession with black grew on the Beetle as well and now I fondly call her my black beauty,” he says.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...ck-beauty.html

[vinay kamath]

" The man and the machine "
Deccan Herald 19-01-2016

An avid traveller and food and hospitality consultant, Rishad Minocher never looks at the calendar or the clock whenever he feels like taking a ride. He simply climbs on his superbike and hits the road.

But Rishad’s superbike is not the only attraction in his stable. Also vying for attention are his two other prized possessions — a 1957 model of BSA Goldstar and a 1976 model of Honda CB 750 F1.


to enjoy the complete article, please click on the link below:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...n-machine.html

[vinay kamath]

" A spark in the old world "
Deccan Herald 26-01-2016

Pavan Kadam’s parking space is never too small for his vintage collection. It was after watching the movie ‘Herby’ 25 years ago that he was bitten by the Beetle bug. The love for it grew in him as he felt it had the perfect balance between aesthetics and mechanics, and the science and art of automobiles.

to enjoy the complete article,
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...old-world.html

[vinay kamath]

Steering through the past
Feb 2, 2016, DHNS:

After pursuing a career in marine engineering, Chandrashekhar relocated to Bengaluru from Mumbai 28 years ago. This also marked the beginning of his journey seeking out rare and vintage cars. Today, Chandrashekhar has in his possession five vintage beauties — a 1948 model Wolseley 8 (a saloon car), a two-door 1949 model of Morris Minor with low light, a 1939 model Studebaker Champion, a two-door 1961 model of Triumph Herald and a 1962 model of Standard Companion

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...ough-past.html

[vinay kamath]

Struck by the love bug

Anushka Sivakumar, Mar 08, 2016, DHNS
Vintage pride
Richard D’Souza’s 1962 Volkswagen Beetle is more than just a vintage car. From time to time, he keeps describing his red, dazzling beauty as a love bug, a priceless heirloom and a crowning glory.

He met Almeida, a mechanic who specialised in the restoration of vintage cars. Almeida stripped it down to bare metal and restored the car, with all the original parts in place.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...-love-bug.html

[vinay kamath]

"Igniting a childhood passion " Deccan Herald 22-03-2016

[vinay kamath]

"Carrying forward a rich legacy "
Deccan Herald 29-03-2016

MR Bharatha and his nephew Balakrishna Jayasimha turn nostalgic when they start talking about their prized possession - a 1935 Standard Coventry Saloon Deluxe.

The car has an interesting history to it. It was extensively used by Sir M N Krishna Rao, the former Dewan of Mysore State before it was handed over to his son M Ramaswamy. He in turn, gave it to his son M R Bharatha, who later chose to hand it over to Balakrishna Jayasimha.

The car may have passed down generations but the passion and commitment in maintaining it remain the same.

Bharatha vividly recollects his grandfather Sir M N Krishna Rao taking him in his car to Lalbagh.

"I remember driving down to Lalbagh through Jayanagar. The place was deserted and there was no major landmarks along the way. I can't explain how thrilled I was to be travelling in a rare car. I feel the same thrill even now whenever I drive in it," says Bharatha.He says the Standard Coventry Saloon Deluxe participated in the first ever vintage car rally held in Bengaluru in 1969.

"We participated in it and won the rolling trophy for the best maintained car. Our victory was prominently reported in all the major publications across the City," recalls Bharatha.

His nephew Balakrishna pitches in saying, "We were also invited to be a part of the 'Dasara' procession in Mysuru three times. We last participated during 'Dasara' in 2004."

Bharatha says the car had had some very important people travelling in it, including, former chief minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah.

Balakrishna says he understands the necessity and importance of maintaining the car in good condition.

"I take it as a privilege to own and maintain this car. I have had a lot of people telling me how time-consuming and expensive it is to maintain the car but I find it an extremely refreshing experience to be involved with the car," he says.

Balakrishna too holds fond memories of travelling in the car. He remembers being dropped to school in the car. "As soon as I would get off the car, my school friends would ask me about it. They always wished to ride in it someday," he says. He proudly says this is the only model of its kind in Bengaluru.

Ask him if it is easy to source the parts and he says the family has stocked a few spare parts but imports those that aren't available here from The Standard Motor Club in England.

"We were members of The Standard Motor Club in England but I haven't renewed the membership after it expired afew years ago. I hope to do that sometime soon," he says.

Being actively involved in motorsports himself, Balakrishna says he perfectly understands the working of Standard Coventry Saloon Deluxe and its build.

"The car has been made using thick metal sheets which is why it has managed to remain strong and sturdy. It hasn't rusted even after 80 odd years," he says.

Balakrishna's daughters have also tried their hand at driving the car but he says he is a little apprehensive to let them drive it.

"I think it requires a great amount of skill to drive this car in the traffic situation now. The girls are not ready to take it on just yet," he says.

The car attracts a lot of attention whenever the family takes it out.

"We have strangers asking us about the car and the expenditure involved in maintaining it. One common question is 'how much mileage does the car give?' They also never leave without taking a selfie next to the car. This is truly an encouraging experience," says Balakrishna.

Nina C George

(M R Bharatha and Balakrishna can be reached at balakrishna.jayasimha@gmail.com)


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