When they took India back in time

One of the world’s best vintage car exhibitions made a stop in Mumbai, showcasing some of the finest sets on wheels illustrating the glorious past. The third Cartier Concours D’Elegance not only got the visitors on their feet but also defined class and character. Ammar Alvi has more.

It brings back a lot of history, glory and beautiful technology that our past has given us. The Cartier Concours d’Elegance is a vintage car exhibition and competition held every two years in India. While the guests enjoyed a sunny lunch and high tea, they came up close with the beautiful and the rarest automobiles of the 70s from the Indian royal patrons and private collectors. All the beautiful cars were curated by Indian automotive expert Manvendra Singh of Barwani and the Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, Mark Shand.

The first international Concours d’Elegance in India was hosted at the Royal Western India Turf Club Mumbai in 2008. The third edition of Cartier Travel with Style witnessed several exciting additions, taking it a step forward in establishing Cartier Concours d’Elegance as a world renowned vintage automotive exhibit. The esteemed panel this year included chief judge Prince Michael of Kent, chairperson of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Sandra Button, Fiat scion and ever-dapper Lapo Elkann, President of Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Jean Todt, one of the greatest F1 drivers Sir Stirling Moss, Motorcycle Grand Prix legend Giacomo Agostini who holds 15 World Championship titles, seven-time GP Motorcycle Champion Phil Read, award winning F1 designer Prof. Gordon Murray and leading industrialist Sir Anthony Bamford among other notable personalities.

The distinct exhibit culminated with an award giving ceremony hosted by Master of Ceremony Aland de Cadenet. The Best Car of the Show was Rolls Royce 1935 Phantom II owned by Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur, and the Best Motorcycle of the show was the 1915 Indian owned by Subodh Nath.

We also came across the Jaguar C-Type, the car that brought Jaguar its first victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race. It’s the very same car in which Sir Stirling Moss won the 1952 Reims Grand Prix. In addition to this world-famous victory, it ran at the 1952 Monaco GP and, in the hands of Moss, took victories at Boreham and Turnberry.