City-based vehicle enthusiasts had another chance to touch base with automobile history at the Vintage and Classic Car and Bike Rally organised by the Automobile Association of Eastern India (AAEI) on Sunday. The venue of the rally was the Calcutta Rowing Club (CRC). A Ford Towned by The Statesman and used by the editors of The Statesman in the 1930s was on display.

The vehicle won the ‘Special Recommendation by the Judges’ trophy. This is the second event outside The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally in which the vehicle took part. The vehicle was grounded for many years. It has been restored by well-known restorer Mr Rajiv Ghosh. More than 80 vintage and classic cars and motor cycles took part in the event. The CRC was thrown open to the public and many car enthusiasts came to the venue and took photographs of the old cars. The presence of young car and bike enthusiasts was remarkable. There were cars and motor cycles that are more than a century old.

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The oldest car that took part in the rally was a 1913 made Stoewer owned by Mr Ananda Chowdhury. His great grandfather Ishwarchandra had imported the vehicle from Germany. The car has served the Chowdhury family for four generations. The vehicle won a trophy for the best maintained vintage car. The display of a fleet of Rolls Royces owned and restored by Mr Shrivardhan Kanoria added value to the rally. Mr Kanoria, the most prominent restorer in Eastern India has a fleet of seven vintage Rolls Royces.

A rare Lanchester owned by Mr Amitava Saha, was also on display. A Rolls Royce which was used by Rajendra Prasad, first Indian President and now owned by Mr Vasant Kumar Karnani took part in the rally along with a Blue Plymouth which had belonged to Hemanta Mukherjee and is now owned by Mr SK Lahiri and a red Triumph once owned by Jackie Shroff and now owned by Mr Saikat Dutta. A huge six cylinder Hudson was a crowd puller. The rally covered a 20- km route and people stood on both sides of the road to cheer the drivers and enjoy the beauty of the vehicles.

The trophy for best overall restoration in the vintage section was won by a Ford 7W 10 made in 1937 and owned by Mr Saurjya Pratim Mitra. The trophy for best overall restoration in the classic section was owned by a 1938 Mercedes Benz and owned by Mr Prithvi Nath Tagore. Mr Sarojesh Mukherjee’s 1974 Land Rover Series 3 won the Best Offroader award. Mr Prabir Roy, secretary general of AAEI said this was the sixth edition of the rally and had expressed satisfaction over the impressive turn out of cars and enthusiasts. Mr Swapan Banerjee, president of Indian Olympic Association was present at the rally