Luxury on Wheels

Unusual exhibits greeted visitors at Byculla’s Bhau Daji Lad Museum on Monday. While a grey Fiat 1100 Select, an elegant red 1934 Packard Tourer and a handsome black 1947 Rolls Royce Wraith were placed close to the entrance, the 1947 MG TC was parked further inside the lawns.

Although vintage, these cars are not part of the museum’s exhibits, but made for an exclusive preview to mark the announcement of Cartier Travel With Style Concours D’Elegance. The globally renowned exhibition and competition of automobiles is a tradition dating back to the 17th century when the French aristocracy would put their carriages on display. In its India edition, scheduled to take place on February 10, 2013, at the Taj Lands End in Bandra, it will showcase a collection of rare and beautiful vintage automobiles. This will be the third edition after the 2008 and 2011 editions, in Mumbai and Delhi respectively.

Present on the occasion were Louis Ferla, regional director of Cartier, Middle East, India and Africa; Manvendra Singh of the royal family of Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, curator of the Concours in India; and event director Mark Shand. While Ferla spoke of the brand’s endeavour to celebrate the design and craftsmanship of India’s automobile heritage, Singh, as India’s most experienced vintage car expert — with over 30 years of experience — pointed out that for the first time in India, motorcycles

... contd.