Vintage limousines, Humberettes, Chryslers on Delhi and Gurgaon roads

For almost a decade, the 21 Gun Salute Vintage Car Rally and Concours Show has been one of the biggest vintage car shows in NCR. The show, which originated in Gurgaon, had moved to Greater Noida for the past couple of editions, where it used to culminate at the Budh International Circuit. However, this year, the grand show went back home to Gurgaon. On Saturday, the car rally featuring 125 vintage cars and about 35 motorcycles was flagged-off by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma from India Gate.Before the flag-off, the minister walked around to see the vintage vehicles and even posed in some of them. "These vehicles are a symbol of the preserved heritage of their nations, and it shows us the significance of preserving art and heritage. I found all of them so beautiful and breathtaking that I couldn’t resist but sit in a few of them," he told us.
A vintage ride at Indian Gate
Also present at the flag-off was Luigi Estero, Charge’d’ Affairs, Embassy of Italy in Delhi, who expressed delight at the new category for Italian vehicles in the show. "I am happy to see that there is a special category for Italian cars in this show this year, because Italy and automobiles have always been synonymous."
Amir Ali Jetha’s 1951 MG TD Roadster
The 160 vehicles then made their way in a 33km journey across the capital, travelling through Lutyen’s Delhi, Dhaula Kuan and NH-48 to Ambience Greens in Gurgaon. "We replicated the commute that most office-goers take in Delhi every day. I was a little nervous at first at the prospect of driving through Delhi on a Saturday morning in rush hour, but fortunately, everything turned out well," said Ranjit Pratap, who drove his 1966 Ford Fairline.
Ashish Kochar riding a 1942 Indian Scout
Among the vintage cars were some extremely rare vehicles, including a 1908 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, a 1922 Bentley that was among the first cars to participate in the inaugural edition of the iconic Le Mans race in 1924, a 1903 Humberette that was the oldest car in the show, and a 1942 Packard 180 Limousine, which is the only pre-war Packard limousine in the world today. Like every year, several erstwhile royal families showcased their cars as well. On display were the the 1935 Chrysler Airstream owned by Yuvraj Yograj Singh Ji Chavda and the 1937 Steyr Daimler 220 owned by Yuvraj Harshvardhan Singh, among others.
Ajay Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police with Mahesh Sharma, MoS, (Independent Charge) Culture and Tourism
In Gurgaon, after the cars were arranged for display at the Ambience Greens golf course, visitors poured in to catch a glimpse of the beauties. The visitors included VP Singh Badnore, the Governor of Punjab, and Vinay Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon. Students of art colleges from across NCR were also invited to the show as part of a competition to paint on the spot for a prize money. "It is a unique experience to get to paint these cars because they are just so beautiful," said Aakash, a young art student.
Luigi Estero, Charge’d'Affaires, Embassy of Italy with KTS Tulsi, President, Heritage Motoring Club of India
Subhash Goel with Diljeet Titus
Vinay Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissoner, Gurgaon (L) and VP Singh Badnore, Governor, Punjab