Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday fagged off the much-awaited 57th Edition of The Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally in the national capital.
‘’The Maharanis of Yesteryears’’ were flagged off from The Statesman House at Barakhamba Road in Delhi at a glittering ceremony, in the presence of Chairman of The Statesman Group, Mr R P Gupta, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon, British Deputy High Commissioner to India Christina Scott, Director (Planning and Business Development/HR) of Indian Oil Sujoy Choudhury and CMD of NBCC KP Mahadevaswamy.
The other dignitaries present on the occasion included officials from the SBI, LIC of India, BHEL, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), and Kairali-The Ayurvedic Healing Village.
Before flagging off the car rally, Union Minister Puri, accompanied by Mr Gupta, had a look at the classic beauties and also posed for photographs with their proud owners.
Later, in a post on X, the minister said, “Vintage marvels of automobile engineering bring the Sunday morning alive with their vibrant colours, whirring engines and the passion of their proud owners! Delighted to flag off the 57th edition of the Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally today morning.”
Noting that these cars were like history books rolling on four wheels, Puri said, “I suggested to the owner of a hundred year old Rolls Royce to convert the engine to run on ethanol!Once this is done it’ll be a glowing example of a marvel from the past running on the fuel of the future.”
He further said, “It will become a perfect tribute to India’s quest for energy self-sufficiency and green energy transition under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi.”
Soon after the flag-off ceremony, the participating vintage and classic cars headed to JP Hospital, Greater Noida via Mahamaya Underbridge before taking a U-turn to reach the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium near India Gate.
More than 150 vehicles participated in the rally. The major attractions of the event were an assembly of vintage and classic cars, followed by a drive through the city where cars were assessed for originality and performance on the road section.
Rolls Royce, Bentley, the 1914 John Morris fire engine, owned by the Rail Museum, smaller vintage and classic cars, and outstation cars were among the key highlights of this year’s event.
Prior to the prize distribution ceremony, a live music programme enthralled the participants as well as those who were present to catch the glimpse of the old cars. People who attended the event along with their families clicked photos of the rare cars.
The prize distribution ceremony was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Meanwhile, in a post on X, Director (Planning and Business Development/HR) of Indian Oil Choudhury termed the rally as an “unforgettable experience”.
“Exciting day at the 57th Statesman Vintage & Classic Car rally as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri , flagged off the event at Statesman House today! It’s a journey back in time as iconic automobiles like Rolls-Royce, Bentleys, Morris Major, Armstrong, and Mercedes grace Delhi’s roads. Proud to be a part of this unforgettable experience! #VintageCars #ClassicCarRally,” he said.
The Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally is an annual event that takes place in Delhi and Kolkata. It’s one of the oldest continuously run events in India and the sub-continent.
The sponsors of the rally were Indian Oil Corporation, LIC of India, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, BHEL, Bhasin Service Station, Power Finance Corporation Limited, NTPC Limited, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri, HW Bhatnagar, JK Tyre and Industries Ltd, HPCL, NIXI, National Book Trust of India, NBCC (India) Limited, Kairali Ayurveda, UP Tourism, Taiwan Embassy, NHPC Limited, Oil India Limited, SBI, GAIL India Limited, Bal Bharati Public School, PPG Asian Paints, Ekvee and M Ram.