Vintage car rally lends colour to inauguration
MUMBAI: A bevy of vintage car beauties graced the coastal road ceremony on Monday. Thirty cars in all their retro glory zipped along the newly inaugurated coastal road tunnel, among them models like the Chrysler Windsor, Buick, Mercedes, Cadillac, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Daimler, Ford, Packard and Beetle.
Nitin Dossa, president of the Vintage & Classic Car Club of India, led the convoy in his 1952 Chrysler Windsor, a car which, he pointed out, was specially imported for the Madras governor at one t i me. Dossa, also executive chairman of the Western India Automobile Association, exulted that the trip from Worli to Marine Drive took only nine minutes.
“This coastal road is a boon as it will decongest internal roads, particularly Pedder Road, which gets blocked in the evenings,” he said. “One cannot blame the authorities for the congestion, as there are 700 new cars being registered in Mumbai every day. One cannot expand on land, and hence the coastal road is the only way out.” Dossa also suggested that the coastal road be allowed for car-racing at least once in three months.
Monisha Dossa, who drove a 1947 Buick, said the rally was “a fabulous experience”. Yashvardhan Ruia, who drove his 1947 Bentley Mark VI, said, “You’re at Marine Drive in a jiffy. We didn’t expect it to be so fast but that’s what the coastal road is all about. My office is at Worli, and I stay at Princess Street. So t he coastal road is a boon for me. We only hope that the time is extended beyond 8 pm.”
Tanvi Trivedi, who drove a 1941 Packard 120, said, “It was a surreal experience, and the road was smooth. Since I live at Altamount Road and work in Worli, the daily commute will be very convenient for me from now on.”