Vintage cars should be restored, part of our rich heritage: Baroda royals, collectors

The erstwhile royal family of Baroda and antique automobile collectors, who have gathered from India and abroad at the majestic Lakshmi Vilas Palace, have pitched for preservation of vintage cars, describing them "part of India's rich heritage".

Over 200 vintage beauties, some of which have undergone painstaking restoration in the last few years, are on display in the verdant lawns and golf course of the 19th century palace -- the royal home of the Gaekwads in Vadodara -- as part of a grand car show, which has attracted visitors from near and far-off places.

Some of the old cars which were originally bought or commissioned by the Baroda royals, including a 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III that was custom-built for the then Maharani, a charming red 1948 Bentley Mark VI Drophead Coupe, are also basking in glory in the luxuriant lawns of the palace, which has made the Gaekwads feel happy and nostalgic.

The tenth edition of the '21 Gun Salute Concours d'Elegance' is being organised from January 6-8 in Vadodara by 21 Gun Salute Heritage and Cultural Trust in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, and supported by Gujarat Tourism to boost the 'Incredible India' brand, a spokesperson of the trust earlier said.

"The 1948 Bentley Mark VI is a single-design car that was especially made for the Maharani of Baroda, and it was brought back to India from abroad in 2015, and has been restored to its regal magnificence as it deserves," said Madan Mohan, the trust's chairman and managing trustee, who currently owns the car.

On the opening day of the event, Rajmata of Baroda Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad took a short ride in the palace premises in a 1922 Daimler, originally built for the Mysore royals, fitted with their royal insignia in the front and a metal peacock that sits over the bonnet. It is now owned by businessman Yash Pathak from Madhya Pradesh.

She said she was delighted to see so many vintage cars converging at the palace and termed it a "precious heritage" of the country.

"Even cars (from the Baroda family) which were lost from our vision for years are back in our gardens," she said.

The Rajmata, who is also a textile revivalist, on the sidelines of the event told PTI that "reviving and restoring cars is as important as these cars need a lot of effort to bring back to their old glory, and we should respect this heritage".

Radhikaraje Gaekwad, the titular queen of the erstwhile royal family of Baroda, says the sight of a bevy of restored vintage beauties gracing the lawns of "our home, the palace" emotionally transported her to her childhood days.

"Cars have been an intrinsic part of Indian history, and history of royal families in India has particularly been intertwined with the motoring history of the world, as the best of the cars were commissioned and bought by the royal families in India.

"Unfortunately over the last few decades, they left our homes and even our country, and to have them back here is a homecoming sentiment for us, especially for someone like me who grew up around such cars of my grandfather, who had the nicest collection of vintage cars," Radhikaraje Gaekwad told PTI.

As an individual and as a grandchild, it is like "going back to my childhood sitting in these cars," she said, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"I think it is wonderful to celebrate an aspect of our history which we have kind of neglected. Everything that is part of our culture and history needs to be respected, and therefore, vintage cars too need to be respected," Gaekwad said.

Other vintage cars that originally belonged to the Baroda State, which are part of the display, include a Wolseley (Baroda 45), and an old car labelled 'Baroda 23'.

"This 1937 Rolls Royce (Baroda 3) was custom-built for Maharani Chimnabai of Baroda, who took a personal interest in its details. The car was sent from England to a coach-building firm in France before being shipped to India," said Delhi-based Asheesh Jain, who got the car restored after buying it from another person.

This graceful beauty was also featured in the Hindi film "Shatranj" (1956) starring Ashok Kumar, he said, adding that vintage cars need to be preserved for the future generations as a tangible specimen of an era gone by.

On Saturday, a large number of visitors, from very young to old, drawn from Vadodara and other parts of Gujarat, and some other domestic and foreign tourists visited the show, and the crowd on Sunday, the last day of the automobile extravaganza, is expected to get bigger, organisers said.

Industrialist Harsh Pati Singhania said he has displayed three cars as part of the show -- a Rolls Royce Phantom II (originally owned by Patiala State) and a Bentley Vanden Plas Drophead Coupe (which in the past belonged to the Maharaja of Nilgiri in Orissa), both from 1930s, and a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Couple/Roadster (bearing plate number MVL 1).

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"People have interest in arts and music, and similarly people who are present here are those who are passionate about cars. Vintage cars in India are part of our culture and heritage.

Unfortunately, many such cars were exported out for various reasons, people did not understand their value or cars were not working, and treated them as a liability.

"But, there are many people who are bringing back such cars from overseas, and many of these belonged to royal families, and it is great to see them back," he said.

Cars owned by erstwhile princely state of Benares, and those which originally belonged to other ex-royal families in India, but have changed hands, such as of Indore State, Mysore State, are also on display.

UK-based Dhanraj Gidwaney, a passionate vintage car collector, has displayed a Bentley (belonged earlier to erstwhile Nabha State) and a 1935 two-door Bentley Vanden Plas in jet black, which he said, has been "restored to original glory".

"You need to have great passion to preserve such cars. From shows like this hosted at a palace, the masses will be delighted to see the progress the vintage car clubs have made in the last 30 years, and they will have a better understanding of the restoration of such cars and the beauty and antique value they possess," he said.

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