In an immaculate courtyard where The Oberoi Udaivilas’ golden sun insignia ushers in the harsh afternoon warmth of Rajasthan’s spring – a transition from its freezing winters – Sandra Button, chief judge of The Oberoi Concours d’Elegance, says something important during a panel discussion.
After spending time between February 20 and 22 appraising and marking down approximately 120 attractive vintage and classic cars and bikes that were owned by well-heeled, well-intentioned participants – a slate that included millionaires, billionaires and former maharajas from across India – Sandra says: “Go to a car. Let it talk to you.”
Oberoi Group Executive Chairman Arjun Oberoi, judge Simon Kidston and Dhanraj Gidwani, owner of the Best of Show award-winning Bentley. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Cars can’t talk. But if that sumptuous caviar, wine and cheese-filled Udaipur weekend taught me anything, it’s that cars, especially the painstakingly restored vintage variety, evoke a certain unbridled joy. For example, a Rolls-Royce can be effortlessly suave; And others, perhaps a Ferrari or a Mustang, may be extremely sexy.
Although they may have been purchased before the advent of smart phones (the oldest car in the Cocors dates back to 1905), and the default lens toward life was in sepia, these cars have modern bodies, luscious colors, infinite customization, and missing parts that have been reverse-engineered from scratch.
At Udaivilas, cars and bikes that once transported presidents, royals and racers roam the lawns and courtyards of this property overlooking Lake Pichola and the Udaipur City Palace. There’s a BMW and Rolls-Royce lounge, where participants wearing Chanel glasses and dapper suits engage in lengthy discussions on the engineering behind these vehicles’ engines, while politely discussing business afterward.
BMW 507 Roadster | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Lest we forget a fashion show by designer Tarun Tahliani, who presented to the audience a lecture-demonstration of the transformation of Indian textiles and designs through the ages to reach India Modern. Parts of this conversation had already been presented at a show celebrating 30 years of the brand in Hyderabad on January 16, with Nehru’s mellifluous voice reciting the words from his famous Tryst with Destiny speech. Nevertheless, she charmed the audience present, quipping about other Indian fashion designers creating ostentatious dresses that cannot be worn even on occasions, while also urging brides to cut down on their lehenga dresses.
The youngest participant among the crowd in the sunny concourse is 22-year-old Khushi Dosa. Khushi tells that when she was a little girl, she had her eye on the Capri Blue vintage Bentley in her house, where conversations about cars, especially century-old cars, often took center stage.
“It was simple. The car was blue and it was my favorite colour,” says the granddaughter of Nitin G Dosa, president of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India, Mumbai.
What she didn’t anticipate was that this 1949 Bentley Mark VI with a drophead coupe, once owned by the Maharaja of Mysore, would become hers when she turned 18. A gift from his grandfather to carry on a proud, illustrious history, while honoring the family tradition of entering his collection’s slate in car shows across the country.
Another view of the BMW Roadster Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Extensive car restoration work at P&A Wood, Rolls-Royce and Bentley’s heritage service in London, kept him away from learning to drive for a year and a half. The car, which has been in the family for 30 years, arrived just in time to take part in the second edition of the Concours d’Elegance, where it won two awards – the public vote for best car, and first runner up in the post-war European Classics category.
“[In Mumbai] “I look forward to taking it around the fort and to Marine Drive every Sunday so that we can set the car according to the architecture of its time, and also have a cup of coffee,” says Khushi.
Kushi’s involvement and interest in drinking coffee in her old car is an important indicator of the new generation that continues to invest in this expensive hobby just for the passion of it. His grandfather, who won the Chairman’s Award for his contribution to the field, says more than 75% of the participants in the program are below 50 years of age. He has 70 cars, the veteran says, adding that events like these fuel the fire of a generation that is not only intent on winning, but also derives joy from bringing back a machine that might once have been mere junk. Nitin says, “Cars these days are quiet and automated. You can hardly feel anything vital about it. In old cars, one can hear the heartbeat. It’s a feeling worth cherishing.”
Chairman’s award was given to Nitin Dosa. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Arjun Oberoi, Chairman, The Oberoi Concours d’Elegance, says it is to celebrate this spirit that the Concours was built on such a large scale. When asked what it takes to work together on such a large scale for the second time, Oberoi says, “It’s all about timeless beauty, detail and making sure that we preserve our heritage, which represents a part of India for the future. When we [The Oberoi group] Turning 90, we wanted an event that celebrated the country’s heritage, while also being a poignant reminder of this important milestone. The first convention got such a good response that we decided to do it every other year because we wanted the cars to be of a certain stature,” he says. To help narrow down the list of timeless cars to be on display, event curator Manvendra Singh Barwani came on board, chatting in and out of the event with members of the Indian royal families of Jodhpur, Baroda and Gondal. He is also part of the team participating in the program. The event’s top honour, the Best of Show award, went to Dhanraj Gidwani, who had a 1937 Bentley 4¼ liter drophead coupe once owned by the Nawab of Bhopal, and Gurmukh Saal, owner of a BSA WM20, a robust 500 cc British military motorcycle built in 1937 for World War II;
Vintage cars at the event Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Our conversation takes place near the Udaivilas jetty where several Rolls-Royces are on display. We stand among Yohan Poonawalla’s Phantom series everywhere from I to VIII except IV, of which only 18 were built between 1950 and 1956. Yohan says he intends to complete his collection. He says choosing from this line-up, which includes a 1979 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI from Queen Elizabeth II’s royal fleet and the latest, the Phantom VIII, the last with a privacy suite inside the vehicle, would be impossible. “Choosing a favorite would be like choosing your favorite child,” he says. Impossible,” he said, adding that not all of his cars are competing in the competition. He says, “It’s good to see them all in one place. Some will be going back to London so it’s rare to see such a display, even for me.”
Cars may not speak but they certainly evoke emotions for people from all economic classes. For those who use cars more functionally, a solid vehicle that allows commuting to work and the occasional cross-country trip is ‘kid’-enough. For those with more purchasing power, a car for every mood – happy, sad, determined, angry, blue, green – sets the day.
Car race in the program. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amid sparkling wine and wine at the finale, Shrivardhan Kanoria, a third-generation collector and restorer who ‘makes vintage cars sing,’ says it all comes down to the simple things – not the flash and dollars (yes, dollars) poured into restoration.
Standing next to his 1923 Rolls-Royce Roadster, a sporty two-seater model that once belonged to a West Bengal ice cream baron named RS Cola, the restorer who has already scored several wins at the Udaipur Concours says, “What’s the point of a car if it doesn’t tell a story?”
The author was in Udaipur on the invitation of Oberoi Group.