Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Hood ornaments, tailfins, bench seats and quarter glass windows. Sri Ramachandra Convention Centre was decked up with vintage and classic cars and bikes in funky colours from the 1900s. The cars’ build, engine power, and age-old aesthetic made each one stand out. Rain might have played spoilsport, but that did not stop visitors from coming for the show on Sunday. The event was organised by Madras Heritage Motoring Club. They’re a member of the Federation of History Vehicles of India (FHVI) which not just represents 80 per cent of the historic vehicle owners through the clubs and museums in India, but are also the only one to represent India in the international body of historic Vehicles FHVI. They are official partners with UNESCO. The function was inaugurated by film actress Revathi. “For the second time, we’ve got vehicles from Bengaluru. The oldest model here is a car launched in 1909, which was owned by the Maharaj of Bihar. We have a Sunbeam from 1933 owned by Maharani of Travancore. My wife and daughters own them now. There are also nine bikes including a BMW, Harley Davidson and Douglas. We’re glad to take part and as collectors, we’re preserving and protecting these historic movable treasures. Cars and bikes are not restricted to men, we have equal participation from women and family as well who’ve shown interest,” said Ravi Prakash, president, FHVI. It was a field day for veterans in the automobile industry, car enthusiasts, collectors and photographers. Over 130 cars and 40 motorbikes were showcased. Visitors clicked pictures, artists sketched designs on notepads, and experts explained the features to the public. Every car was displayed with the owner’s name, registration number, model name and year of manufacture. The display was followed by a talk — A historical view of automobiles and transportation in Chennai, by V Sumantran, Chairman, Celeris Technologies — in association with INTACH Chennai Chapter as part of Madras Week celebrations. He spoke on achievements in Chennai’s automobile industry, urban planning and development, and the future. “This city has many firsts in India’s automobile and industrial landscapes. Our production capacity is roughly 1.5 million a year and export share is 66 per cent. We have a healthy component industry comprising TVS, Rane, Delphi, Valeo, UCAL and Murugappa. We must not only make vehicles in India but aspire to even develop the available facilities. This industry has produced multiple job opportunities in the field of designing, development and engineering,” said Sumantran. He added that Chennai is capable of producing models around the globe as it is a hub of automobile components. “Are electric vehicles the future? Can we manage power consumption? Do we have enough skills? This is where Chennai and urban transport system play an important role in the economy. In the last two decades, several things have changed. The vehicle density and population density has shot up tremendously. Gone are those days when there was user-friendly pavement, public mass transit, pedestrian crossing and zero-emission vehicles. The suburban railway was important and instrumental in promoting industrial development promoting first and last-mile connectivity. We need to understand that even our GDP is affected by traffic congestions because of fatalities and pollution. Let’s work towards a cleaner, smarter and greener space,” he said. The event concluded with prize distribution. The vintage collections were judged by Raja Mookerjee and Partha Banik. The vehicles were awarded in different categories such as best maintained car or bike across different time periods. Vintage car collector Ranjit Pratap bagged prizes in several categories.

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