Kolkata witnessed the engines of history taking over the city lanes on Sunday as the 55th edition of The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally became a testament once again to elegance, innovation and timelessness. With more than 170 vintage and classic cars and bikes ruling the roads of ‘The City of Joy’, the sight became a moving memory where the past paraded through the present. With the sun high in the sky and a subtle chill in the air, the guests were mesmerised by the sheer resplendence of the timeless marques.
Drawing all eyes was the oldest participating car in the event ~ the 1500 cc 1913 Stoewer, a German-built car owned by Ananda Chowdhury, with only four cylinders, which has been inherited from one generation of the family to another. An example of automobile craftsmanship, this parakeet green retro wonder is one of the only ones running in India. A 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster (The car that had won the Best Restored Classic Car in 2024) owned by Debdut RoyChoudhury and restored by Pallab Roy and Saurov Roy of the famed Father and Son Restorations, captivated everyone with undeniable charm. With a six-cylinder and overhead valve inline 6 engine, this car, alongside the 1956 Dodge Kingsway used by the Commissioners of Kolkata Police, had created quite a buzz.
A 1936 Bentley, owned by Shrivardhan Kanoria, was a vision from another era. The car dazzled spectators and held them spellbound. A gleaming relic of the past, the 1940 Austin A-125 of the Indian Army radiated timeless splendour. This car was initially used by the erstwhile British Indian army before independence. It was inducted by the Indian army on 9 November 1948 and was used by independent India’s first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian army, Field Marshal KM Chariappa and was brought to Kolkata in 1964 by Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw during his tenure as Army Commander, Eastern Command.
Pallab Roy’s 1928 Studebaker President 8 State Limousine captivated onlookers and commanded attention. A 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 S owned by him had always been a constant presence at the event. According to him, “The car was complete scrap when we acquired it, which we had restored. It was my first serious restoration then and had taught me a lot- from how to handle the mechanical and electrical parts, the bodywork, the paintwork.” His other car, the 1951 Mercury 8, was another aristocratic beauty present at the event. It comes with a ‘flathead V8’ engine, and Pallab Roy opines that it was his son Saurov, who had single-handedly restored the car to its present condition.
Another beauty that stole the limelight would be ‘Nilu’, a 1948 Blue Plymouth that initially belonged to the celebrated singer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, and is now presently owned and under the loving care of Mr Swapan Kumar Lahiri. Amritendu Roy’s 1964 Ford Anglia 105E was a spectacular retro beauty that, for the kids, could only be equivalent to the popular ‘Flying car’ in the Harry Potter series. Initially belonging to the famous footballer Subhas Bhowmick, this car was acquired by Mr Roy in 2000. Both Surendra Kumar Dugar’s 1929 Hudson Essex and Saikat Dutta’s red 1963 Triumph Spitfire that belonged to Bollywood’s ‘bhidu’ Jackie Shroff enthralled everyone. Among the new entries, a 1946 Standard owned by Pradip Kumar Chopra and Bikramjit Ghosh’s 1952 Morris were proud participants and a testament to automobile marvel.
(Photos by Biswajit Ghoshal)