The streets of Kolkata came alive on Sunday as over 120 vintage and classic vehicles, from four-wheelers to two wheelers, participated in The Statesman’s 54th annual Vintage and Classic Car Rally. Spectators were awestruck by the vibrant parade, a captivating display of automotive history, showcasing historical progression, artistic craftsmanship, and the evolving landscape of automotive technology.
A diverse array of automotive legends graced the streets, cruising through many of the city’s thoroughfares on the rally route of around 25 kilometres. While there were several standouts, Shrivardhan Kanoria’s 1906 Renault Freres, boasting two cylinders and a eight horsepower engine, was the oldest one present at the rally and was an immediate crowd puller. Considered one of the oldest running cars in India, this retro wonder of 119 years has won several awards and has been a part of The Statesman rally since its inception. The allurement of the parakeet green, 1913 German-made 1500cc Stoewer, one of the only running in India, was hard to miss out – an excellent showcase of automobile craftsmanship. Manufactured by the Emil & Bernhard Stoewer Company in Germany, this four-cylinder, 15-horsepower vintage beauty is a testament to automobile marvel.
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A 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster (This retro beauty had won the ‘Best Restored Classic Car’ in 2024), owned by Debdut Roychowdhury and restored by Pallab Roy and Saurav Roy, made their presence known with it’s six cylinder and overhead valve inline 6 engine, while the 1956 Dodge Kingsway that was used by the Commissioners of Kolkata Police was a proud participant in this year’s rally. The 1971 Mercedes Benz, known as ‘The Instrument of Surrender Car’, which was driven from Dhaka to Kolkata by the Indian Army as a war trophy during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War was another retro wonder that created quite a buzz. Another beauty that stole the limelight would be ‘Nilu’ so called lovingly by car aficionados. Formerly belonging to celebrated singer Hemanta Mukherjee, the 1948 blue Plymouth was acquired by The Lahiris of Rajpur during the 1970s. The engine has not been taken apart since it was manufactured; however, the car moves with ease and is a family legacy for the Lahiris, now presently owned by Mr Swapan Kumar Lahiri.
Owned by Saikat Datta now, the red Triumph, which took part in the vibrant parade of vintage wonders, once belonged to Jackie Shroff. Taking part for the first time in the rally, Ranajit Gooptu’s 1951 Austin A40 Somerset did not fail at dazzling the crowd with its elegance and royal hues of Oxford blue. Amritendu Roy’s 1964 Ford Anglia 105 E (the ‘flying car’ that is referred to in the Harry Potter series) was a spectacular beauty that captivated everyone. “The car was owned by Subhas Bhowmick, the celebrated footballer, and I acquired it in 2000. Interestingly, there are only two Ford Anglia running in the country now,” said Amritendu Roy.
A veteran at The Statesman Vintage car rally, Soma Bhattacharya’s 1947 Buick Super 8, has been a crowd-puller since the rally’s inception. Pallab Roy and Sourav Roy, well-known restorers in the world of vintage automobiles of Father & Son Restorations, took part in the rally with their 1951 Mercury 8 and 1959 Fiat 1100. The 1959 Fiat had even won The Statesman Trophy in 2023. The only 1955 Standard 10 in West Bengal belonging to Indra Kumar Ghosh captivated, while the 1928 Essex belonging to Surendra Kumar Dugar, enthralled everyone.
