Driving Back To The Raj Era In Heritage Cars

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: They have stood the test of time. They looked like their old self, shining and attractive. Yet, their age made one wonder if the 50-odd heritage cars (vintage and classics) would be able to make it all the way up to Shimla, more than a 350 km drive from Delhi. The Purolator Oberoi Heritage Drive 2003, organised by the Heritage Motoring Club of India, from November 8-10, was an opportunity for the owners of these heritage cars to check if their prized possessions were performing like their old self.

Quite understandably, enthusiasm was writ large on the faces of the participants and their families. And why not? “This is the first time we are organising such a drive. We have had heritage rallies to Jaipur and other places but never to the hills,” said K C Anand, president, Heritage Motoring Club of India. The drive was not a competitive one, though. It was held as a part of the centenary celebrations of the Kalka-Shimla rail link.

Yet, it appeared that scaling an altitude of 2,159 mt would be quite a task for cars like the two-seater tiny 1928 Austin Chummy or even the huge 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

“Indeed, it takes a lot of guts and spirit to attempt such a drive in these cars, although they have been extremely well maintained,” agreed Tarun Thakral, managing director, Le Meridien, New Delhi, who took part in the drive in his 1938 Ford V8.