The Classique Motor Vehicle Association recently hosted the ‘Classic and Vintage Automobile Show’ in partnership with The Park Hyderabad. The event showcased nearly 50 vintage cars and classic motorcycles. The show was inaugurated by K Sreenivasa Reddy, Police Commissioner of Hyderabad, and included a rally around Hussain Sagar and The Secretariat before the vehicles were put on display at The Park.
B Shashidhar, the president of CMVA, mentioned that the oldest car at the show was a 1932 Austin, while the oldest motorcycle was a 1932 James. The highlight of the event was an eight-cylinder Dodge Custom Royal, the most expensive car on display, brought in from Mumbai by owner Harit Trivedi. Shashidhar also shared some interesting history about vintage cars in Hyderabad, including the fact that the city was once home to over 1,000 vintage cars, some of which are now inoperable due to lack of spare parts.
Among the vehicles exhibited were a 1959 Dodge Custom Royal, 1926 Austin 7, 1932 Ford Model A roadster, and others. The members of CMVA and car owners were honored at the event by Ajit Singh Garcha, Area GM of The Park Hotels. Shashidhar expressed the need for government support to simplify the process of owning vintage vehicles, suggesting a five-year payment option instead of yearly fines.
He also highlighted challenges faced by vintage car owners when it comes to re-registering their vehicles with the State Road Transport Authority. Shashidhar emphasized the importance of preserving heritage in mobility and urged for better understanding and cooperation from government authorities. He proposed the establishment of dedicated counters at RTAs with knowledgeable staff to assist vintage car owners in re-registering their vehicles without losing their authenticity.
In conclusion, Shashidhar stressed the significance of recognizing classic and vintage cars as valuable heritage assets and called for collaborative efforts between car owners and government authorities to streamline the process of owning and maintaining these unique vehicles.
