Old & beautiful

The cavalcade of 18 vintage cars featuring in the Himalaya Car Rally, on way to Kolkata from Islamabad, via Kathmandu, was a rare delight for any car lover. Vibhor Mohan talks to some of the proud owners of the cars as the rally passes through Dharamsala

They’re on a long drive, turning heads wherever they go. With their sparkling red-and-black bonnets, it became too hard for the curious onlookers in McLeodganj to guess the age of these rare beauties. The rally halted here this week before heading for Shimla.

The participants swore that driving these beauties was as exciting as staring at them, despite the bumpy and potholed roads in India and Pakistan. "We had to go in for stronger and higher suspensions and make changes in the exhaust system to make the cars suitable for conditions in the sub-continent," said Chris, who has a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette, 2-seated open top sports convertible.

The 1924-manufactured Box Haul is the oldest car in the rally and its owner, Bell from England, said the vehicle was in excellent condition. "I had never imagined that there could be traffic jams on the narrow roads of mountains also. The model has evoked a very exciting response from the people and the passers-by wave to us whenever we hit the road," he said.

All the cars date back between 1924 and 1975. Most of the participants in the rally are from United Kingdom, besides some German and American drivers.

John, another participant from Germany, said they were pretty conversant with the functioning of the engines of the vintage cars and could fix minor troubles on their own.

"As it is, the local mechanics in far-flung areas find it difficult to understand the system of these old machines," he said.

"My Chevrolet Corvette has a 5.7 litre V8 engine and has a four-speed manual transmission. The tyres are steel radial white wall. The petrol consumption is about 18 miles to the gallon, with a top speed of 120 miles per hour. Painted in roman red with white coves, this is the last production of Corvettes before the Stingray was introduced in 1963," said Chris.

"It is the sheer passion for driving that drives us to cover such long distances. The varied cultures and terrains of places we pass through add to the adventure. Otherwise, it could be tough to be behind the wheel for weeks on end. Though now I know that people in the sub-continent are generally nice to us, initially I was a little apprehensive about the reaction of locals," he adds.

Interestingly, most of the participants like to explore different routes during the rally and often split the cavalcade. The whole idea is to have fun covering the distance, spreading the message of friendship among different nations, said John.

"The upkeep of the vehicle is on my mind all the time and sometimes it even burns a hole in my pocket, getting rare parts transported to me. So the moment I stop, the first thing is to check up the key functions of my Chevrolet. A lot of effort has gone into modifying or replacing the outdated parts with the latest technology," he said.

Besides, these being vintage cars, we don’t want them to be dust-laden and look rugged like cars in a regular mountain rally. Keeping the outer shell shining is as important as having the functions in order.

"There are scores of cars on the road but to look different and feel like a prince gives me a high, which justifies all the effort in maintain the rare look of the car. Once its rare front got damaged and I had to wait for three weeks before I could drive it with the same joy," he says.

The driving adventure, from the modern city of Islamabad to the ancient capital of Kolkata, would be winding through the challenging terrain of the Himalayas. "All of us are looking forward to experience some splendid and evocative scenery during the rally," said Tony, another participant.

Christopher Ven Deylen of Germany said he was taking part in the rally to finish first but to explore the sub-continent and spread the message of peace and friendship. I want the adventure to turn out to be a memorable experience so I don’t mind having brief halts here and there to make the best of the rally, he said. The rally would reach Kolkata on April 12.

VK Garg, a local businessman, who was instrumental in bringing the rally to McLeodganj said that the organizers found the place so scenic that they have promised to come here whenever the next rally is planned.

Conrad from England, the organiser, said most of the drivers had taken part in rallies organized in India before but this route was being explored for the first time. "The response to the rally has been very exciting and in most cities, locals love to get themselves clicked with the vintage cars and are keen to know more about these models which once ruled the roads in different countries," he said.

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