If you are thinking of buying a vintage car, think again. You are going to buy a vehicle that might be 100 years old, would drink fuel in gallons but would give you poor mileage, and not go over 40 miles per hour.
And there is more you would need: a mechanic at standby! No, not to scare you away but to tell you the truth. Vintage cars are not for everyone. Indeed they are beautiful and appeal to people who have a passion for these old ladies.
The vintage car is indeed a work of art, some of them handcrafted and nurtured with love for years. Many of them have been resurrected from scrap when they were almost about to be wiped off from the face of the earth. If you still insist on buying it, you must, for sure, have a passion for vintage cars and deep pockets. But still, the question remains where to buy them or even have a glimpse of them. They are not the cars you would see on a city road.
As you would expect, it is not available in any showroom or selling in your neighbourhood second-hand car market. You can buy it only from an owner. That’s right, so the first challenge is to locate one; a willing owner that is one who is ready to sell his darling car.
You can make a start by contacting princes of erstwhile princely states who have several such beauties in their garages. Of course, you would need to offer a good price to make him sell it. The cheaper option is to buy it from a garage.
If you are lucky, it may have disassembled cars needing restoration. Some garages may have ready to sell vintage cars which would be another option. But you need to have a good amount of knowledge about the pricing of the vintage beauty else chances of getting ripped off are high. If you are the online type, then there are groups for vintage cars on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Follow links on Facebook and other vintage car websites that connect you to the sellers. You stand a good chance to find a willing seller. Another option is to buy it from vintage rallies and exhibitions. If it is your lucky day, you might come across a vintage car rally or exhibition in your vicinity or nearby city. In 2018, Mumbai City-based auction house Asta Guru organised an auction. The prices were staggering but it had quite a collection to offer.
While the Beetle and Morris had reserve prices of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 18 lakh, respectively, the RollsRoyce Silver Wraith was the most expensive of the lot at Rs 80 lakh! Another place of course is to spot a vintage car club. The Vintage & Classic Car Club of India (VCCCI) is one of the oldest clubs in India. It was started in 1985 by Mr Pranlal Bhogilal, the founder President and Patron of the club. He is a big collector himself.
VCCCI is a community of passionate and enthusiastic vintage & classic car collectors. They help preserve the car heritage and relish their passion. Another option of course is to go abroad and buy it from there. Cuba happens to be the Mecca of vintage cars. You could think of taking a flight to Havana and coming back as a proud owner of a vintage car.