Repository of vintage, antique and classic cars

You can find a car museum with the finest collection of vintage, antique and classic cars in the most unlikeliest of places, Dharmasthala, a picturesque temple town nestled in the Western Ghats.

To those agnostic, who have no reason to go on a pilgrimage, Dharmasthala, offers a reason if one is interested in antiques and artefacts at the Manjusha museum and the adjoining Manjusha Car Museum.

Cadillac, Citroen, Dodge, Studebaker, Rolls-Royce, Renault, Hillman, Adler, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Chevrolet, Austin, Morris and Pontiac to name a few, and you will find them arranged and lodged in a building with steel arches. Information plaques provide details about each car.

Some of these cars were once owned by VIPs. For instance the UK-made black Daimler Double Six. This car was custom built in 1949 for Jayachamararajendra Wodeyar of Mysore.

Nostalgic moments

Even in those days, it had sophisticated accessories such as pre-selective gear, electrically operated windows, seat partition and aluminium body and engine, extra seats at rear, fitted jacks with two spare wheels. The 8-cylinder engine with two carburettors generated 36 horse power. With a mileage of just about a mile for one litre of petrol this was certainly a majestic car designed for royalty.

A car which served many VIP guests of Karnataka state is the electric blue Dodge 1954 model with two doors left hand drive, convertible top body.

It was imported by the Government of Karnataka for use as State car. Till 1993, it served State guests like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Nikita Khrushchev (who led the Soviet Union), Nikolai Bulganin (premier of Soviet Union) Babu Rajendra Prasad and a host of VIPs.

The ivory-coloured Studebaker 1929 model car with a 39.2 HP engine car collected from Pondicherry in 1970. This was the car which carried Mahatma Gandhi during his tour of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This museum also possesses a certificate given to driver Bob John by Gandhiji.

The ivory-coloured American luxury car Packard with 8 cylinder 48.8 horse power engine was used by Abhinava Vidya Theertha Swamiji of Sringeri Sharada Peetha and was donated to the museum in 1989. Another car owned by a well-known person is the Jaguar, a 1951 model, 6 cylinder, 16 horse power British manufactured car. It was once used by T A Pai, an entrepreneur, administrator, industrialist and a Union Minister from Manipal.

The 1930 model Morris Oxford car with 4 cylinder, 14.9 HP engine was collected from Sirsi, a town in Uttara Kannada. It was used as a taxi to carry devotees to Dharmasthala in the 1940s. After it was collected it was restored at Dharmasthala. Perhaps the only Russian vehicle is the military green Yaz. It is a 1941 model army vehicle with four wheel drive and four cylinder engine.

But there are several American cars like the dark blue Cadillac, 1954 model with automatic gear and power drive, power windows and power brake with leather seating.

UK made cars in the museum include Hillman Black 1952 model with 4 cylinder, 12 horse power engine and saloon type body; Austin, a 1933 model maroon common man’s car was made in with 7 HP, 4 cylinder engine and saloon type body and the one time popular 1933 model two-door convertible Morris with 4 cylinder and 8 HP engine.

Also found is an ivory coloured 1924 Rolls Royce with cylinder, 20 HP engine. It is a doctor’s coupe with extra seats in the boot.

French automobile expertise is present in the form of a sky blue 1947-model Citroen sky blue four wheel front wheel drive with gear lever fitted on dash board and gear box operation in front of the engine. It is a four door with sedan type of body. What was once a simple common man’s car is now an antique car.

There are several American cars: 1951 model Ford with V8 engine and  two door sedan type of body, overdrive gear and left hand drive car.

The cream coloured with maroon top Buick-51 1947 model was known for its design and performance and was a popular car. Other US cars are the 1962 model Chevrolet Impala with 6 cylinder 30.3 horse power engine. This car was said to have been awarded as the best original condition, left hand drive car at Bangalore.

Unique car

It was donated to Manjusha Museum in 1999. Other cars include Pontiac (1951), Dodge Kingsway (1955). One unique car is the black 1938 model Lincoln-Tephyr with V2 25 HP engine.

Surprisingly an old 1928 model US-made Nash car was collected from Sagar, a small town in Karnataka in the shape of a converted wagon and was totally rebuilt and restored from front door to back luggage stand.

Perhaps the oldest among cars from all countries is the dark blue 1926 model Mercedes Benz Dark Blue with 30 horse power 6 cylinder engine and saloon type of body. Another German car is the 1936 model blue Adler 1936 model. It was made by a bicycle manufacturing company as a low cost common man’s car.

It has four cylinder 10 horse power engine with front wheel drive. Perhaps no car museum would be complete without a beetle-shape Volkswagen car. The museum has one 1950 model red Volkswagen. Only four such cars were said to be imported to India and this is the lucky survivor.

New cars have been added time and again. So by the time you visit, there could be some new arrivals of antique cars.