MYSORE: More than 50 vintage cars drawn from different parts of the country will be on display on Mysore Palace premises during Dasara, affording the visitors a rare peep into the lifestyles of the rich and the famous of the bygone era.

Owners themselves will drive these vintage cars from Bangalore and different parts of the State on October 8. The beauties will be on display at the Mysore Palace premises from October 9 to 12.

After participating in the Dasara procession on October 13, Vijayadashami, the cars will trundle back to their respective destinations on October 14, according to a tentative schedule drawn up by Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club.

The display of a bevy of vintage beauties in the backdrop of the imposing Mysore Palace during the Dasara festival is expected to be a big draw with car lovers making a beeline for the venue. "Although we sold 40,000 tickets last time, an estimated 1.5 lakh people must have seen the display of the cars," said the club secretary Ravi Prakash.

In anticipation of a better response this year, Dr. Prakash said the club is planning to rope in film stars, cricketers or sportspersons to accompany the car rally during the Dasara procession. The club has sounded off a number of star personalities including actor Jackie Shroff and rocket scientist Rakesh Sharma.

"But nothing has been finalised yet. It may take us a couple of days before we can confirm their participation," said Dr. Prakash.

He confirmed the participation of a rare 1930 model Delage car, bought by the Maharaja of Holkar in 1962. The eight-cylinder car enjoys the distinction of having won a place during a car exhibition held in France in 1962. The French-made car, which had been stationed in an ice factory in Madhya Pradesh since then, will roll out on the roads during the rally, he said.

All the 50 cars that had captured the imagination of car lovers during the Dasara festival last year will be participating this year. "We will be adding six to seven cars more this year," he said.

Cars belonging to the royal families of Udaipur, Rajkot, Kutch and Travancore, besides the ones owned by nationalist Motilal Nehru and poet laureate Kuvempu will be part of the rally.

Dr. Prakash's Ford Model T, manufactured in 1915 in the U.S., the oldest running Ford in India with wooden spoke wheels, a two-door 1918 model Sunbeam, a 1919 model Fiat 501, R.M. Muthaiah's 1924 Standard Coventry, Raghunandan's 1933 Austin and a host of old beauties will be on display during vintage car expo and rally in Mysore.

While most of the vintage cars participating in the rally are from Bangalore, a 1947 Cadillac of U.S. from Mysore, owned by former Rajya Sabha member F.M. Khan, and his relative Gazala Khan's 1965 model Mercedes Benz, made in Germany, will be vying for attention at the expo, which will feature cars from the stables of well-known car makers Jaguar, Austin, Mercedes, Morris and Fiat.

Along with the four-wheelers, 12 vintage bikes will be participating in the exposition.

Dr. Prakash said the Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club has more than 250 members, who together possess over 450 cars and motorcycles.

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