Classic beauties shine at Cartier Concours d'Elegance 2015

Curated by the renowned Indian automotive historian and expert, Manvendra Singh of Barwani, the Cartier Concours d’Elegance showcases some of the rarest and best-preserved vintage automobiles from across India.

The picturesque Jaipur Polo Grounds was the venue for the Fourth Cartier Travel with Style Concours d’Elegance 2015 and in all, the event showcased 82 rare classic automobiles and 32 best preserved motorcycles from the esteemed stables of Indian royal patrons and noted private collectors.

In all, the entries competed in 9 distinctive classes at the concours and were judged by a distinguished panel of judges, each hailing from different backgrounds and also included the who’s who of knowledgeable collectors of classic cars. The event culminated in an awards ceremony hosted by Master of Ceremony Alan de Cadenet.

The Best Car of the Show was awarded to a 1933 Minerva AL 40HP owned by renowned collector Diljeet Titus and the Best Motorcycle of the Show was awarded to what has been described as the “Grandmother of all Royal Enfields in India” - a 1936 Royal Enfield 500cc owned by Parvinder Singh.

A 1952 CZ-Jawa 250cc owned by Ashok Naidu was awarded the Mark Shand Adventure Trophy in honour of Late Mark Shand, the driving force behind Cartier With Style. A 1920 Moon Model 6-42, the one of two right hand drive Moons across the world, owned by Shrivardhan Kanoria, was awarded the Resurrection Cup.

The entries at the event were in several categories, including Pre-War, Post-War, Indian Heritage, Preservation and Roadster classes. Thirty two iconic classic motorcycles from across the country competed in three signature classes – Veteran Vintage, Pre-War and Post-War.

Two new automotive categories were added in the fourth edition of the event – Piccolo Fiats (celebrating the Italian company’s famous small cars) and Coachbuilders to the Maharajas: Vanden Plas (famous Anglo-Belgian coachbuilder Vanden Plas creations for the Indian Maharajas), in addition to the pre-established categories.

“Cartier Concours d’Elégance has generated great excitement among Indian collectors. More and more owners are now taking interest in maintaining and restoring their cars to the high standards required for such international events,” said Manvendra Singh of Barwani, Curator of the Concours.

And indeed, exhibitors included owners and collectors of vintage and classic automobiles who displayed their passion with remarkable stories of restoration.

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“I have owned this car for the past 20 years and it wasn’t easy to restore it to what it is now. When I picked it up, there was a tree growing through the car. Most of the body parts, including the bonnet and the fenders had to be fabricated from scratch and then of course, a long and painstaking task of rebuilding the engine,” said Manreet Singh, owner of a Triumph 1947 TR3000 roadster.

This year’s ZigWheels Awards Jury member and classic car restorer and automobile expert Tutu Dhawan’s 1946 MG TC was adjudged the winner in the Roadster class.

“I have owned this car since 1977 and I chanced across this car, lying in a farm near Patna. And it’s been completely fabricated and restored to its original condition. Yes, it’s a difficult job, but when you set your heart to it, things gradually fall into place,” said Dhawan.

There were other familiar faces as well among the exhibitors. Managing Director, Ducati India, Ravi Avalur proudly displayed his prized possession, a 1937 Ford V8 Deluxe, which has been in the family for five generations.

“It was purchased by my great –great grandmother and has been my dream to restore it to its original condition. What you need to undertake such a project is patience, lots of it,” Ravi laughs, talking about the restoration.

The Cartier Concours d’Elégance is a unique vintage car exhibit and competition held biannually in India. It is curated by the India’s most respected automotive expert Manvendra Singh of Barwani. Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ celebrates the distinctiveness of the auto heritage of India and the specially appointed automobiles and motorcycles from the days of the Maharajas and post-Independence India – The Indian Auto Belle Époque. 

Set to rank alongside other world-renowned Concours such as the Cartier ‘Style Et Luxe’, the ‘Villa D’Este Concorsa D’Eleganza’ and the ‘Pebble Beach Concours D’Elégance’, Cartier ‘Travel with Style’ has put India on the international classic car circuit.

The third Cartier Concours d'Elegance in 2013 showcased over 70 cars and included classic motorcycles for the first time. A 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II – owned by HH Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur was awarded the “Best of Show”, and the 1915 Indian owned by Subodh Nath was awarded “Best Motorcycle” at the last edition of Cartier ‘Travel with Style’ 2013.

Each edition sets higher benchmarks and increases its global prestige making it one of the most awaited events of the year on the calendar for automotive enthusiasts.

List of winners (Motorcycles):

Veteran-Vintage Winner - 1926 AJS R9, owned by Ashish Sharma

Pre-war Classic Winner - 1936 Royal Enfield 500, owned by Parvinder Singh

Post-war Classic Winner - 1947 Indian Chief, owned by Desh Deepak Singh

Post-war Classic Runner-up - 1948 Sunbeam, owned by Sandeep Kapoor

List of winners (Cars):

Pre-War Classics European Winner – 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom 1, owned by Gurpreet Singh

Pre-War Classics European Runner-up – 1921 Steyr Type 2, owned by Vivek Pittie

Pre-War Classics American Winner – 1938 Cadillac V16 Series 90, owned by Zita Goenka

Pre-War Classics American Runner-up – 1920 Moon 6-42, owned by Shrivardhan Kanoria

Coachbuilders to the Maharajas (VandenPlas) Winner – 1933 Minerva AL 40HP, owned by Diljeet Titus

Post-War Classic Winner – 1952 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith, owned by Karamjit Jaiswal

Post-War Classic Runner-up – 1953 Chrysler Windsor, owned by Nitin Dossa

Post-War Classics Fabuleux  Fin Winner – 1959 Chevrolet Impala, owned by Dharmaditya Pattanaik

Post-War Classics Fabuleux Fin Runner Up – 1961 Chrysler Imperial Crown Southampton, owned by Viveck Goenka

Roadster Winner – 1946 MG TC, owned by Tutu Dhawan

Piccolo Fiat Winner – 1950 Fiat 500cc Topolino, owned by Viveck Goenka

Preservation Winner – 1935 Mercedes 290, owned by Yuvraj Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot

Indian Heritage Winner – 1948 Hindustan Ten, owned by Viveck Goenka

Cartier Resurrection Cup Winner – 1920 Moon 6-42, owned by Shrivardhan Kanoria

Mark Shand Adventurer Trophy Winner – 1952 CZ-Jawa 250, owned by Ashok Naidu

Best of Show (Motorcycles) Winner – 1936 Royal Enfield 500, owned by Parvinder Singh

Best of Show (Cars) Winner – 1933 Minerva AL 40HP, owned by Diljeet Titus