The Hindu : New Delhi News : Vintage beauties steal hearts

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Monday, Mar 03, 2008
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Vintage beauties steal hearts

Staff Reporter

- Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Old is gold: Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor flagging off the 1914 Rolls Royce owned by Wasia Ibrahim of Kanpur at the Statesman vintage car rally in New Delhi on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: A bright, nippy spring morning played a perfect host to the 42nd Statesman ‘Vintage and Classic Car Rally-2008’ as it brought on to the Delhi roads over 100 ‘grand old beauties’ on Sunday.

The rally was flagged off from Statesman House on Barakhamba Road by Chief of the Army Staff Deepak Kapoor. The participating cars drove down Connaught Place to Sohna and culminated their ‘Sunday trip’ at Modern School on Barakhamba Road later in the evening, where winners in various categories were honoured with trophies.

Among the several awards presented this year, the Statesman Challenge Trophy was bagged by Wasia Ibrahim’s 1913 Rolls Royce, Silver Ghost, while the Purolator India Ltd.

Trophy for the most elegant and best maintained classic car manufactured between 1940-56 outside United States to have completed the rally today was bagged by Automotive Heritage Trust’s 1949 MG and award for the best performance on road was won by Sanuj Nath’s 1961 Chevrolet.

Ms. Ibrahim, who along with her family had driven to Delhi from Kanpur to participate in the rally, said: “Our 1913 Rolls Royce, Silver Ghost, is the oldest car to participate in the rally this year, it has been in our family for four generations and now my sons are the fifth generation to drive the beauty. We are very happy to be participating in the rally for the first time.”

“Held for the first time in 1964, the rally is an occasion when nostalgia and motoring history rule the roads. The rally is aimed at encouraging and promoting preservation of the country’s motoring heritage.

Each year over 30 trophies are awarded to various participating cars, which are evaluated on the basis of their originality, maintenance and performance,” said Rahul Mittra, CEO Brandsmith, one of the organisers of the 42nd Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally.

A pre-event inspection and evaluation of classic and vintage beauties was conducted by judges at Statesman House on Saturday. The cars were judged on the basis of the engine, originality, maintenance, interiors, tyres, wheels, instruments and coach work.

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