Behold the little old lady

The oldest member of the Musa family, she continues to command the same love, care and respect that she has been getting for three generations now. Time has not dented the charm of the grand old lady — a 1954 model of Fiat Millecento, who continues to be a headturner every time she hits the road.

Every member of the Musa family, the third generation included, get a little nostalgic when they start talking about their prized possession. The emotion and excitement of owning the rare model is palpable as they share their experiences of how they got her and how she has been strong and sturdy all through.

The car was brought by Musa Sait from Chennai, where he worked, to Bengaluru in the late 1980s. And now his son Shahed Musa Sait owns and maintains the car.

As a child, Shahed holds very fond memories of travelling in the car. “My father shuttled between Chennai and Bengaluru. So we would travel a lot between the two places in the Fiat Millecento. I still remember whenever we had to climb a hill or a steep road, we would have to first fill water in the radiator to make sure it doesn’t get heated and then move on,” he recollects.

Shahed says his four brothers, sister, parents and him have taken several trips in the car. “We would all fit into one car when we were children but as we grew older, we would travel in this car and in my grandfather’s Austin,” he says.

Today, Shahed’s children get dropped to school in Millecento. The family always make it a point to take the car out on Sunday morning when there is less traffic. His daughter Dania Shahed Sait, who is in class eight and son Musa Shahed Sait, who is in second year pre-university, confess that although initially they didn’t like travelling in the grand old lady, today they want to travel only in it. “As kids, we never really understood and valued what we had but as we grew older we’ve understood that what we have is indeed one-of-a-kind,” explains Musa.

Dania recollects the horn of the car is shrill and she would never like it whenever her father honked but now that seems to have changed. “I don’t think any of the modern vehicles match up to the charm of the Fiat Millecento. I now understand why my father loves and values his car so much. My brother and I now share his sentiment too,” says Dania.

Shahed’s wife Za confesses that the family gets complimented from total strangers whenever they travel in the car.

“We have people giving the car admiring looks and a few even stop by and ask us how we manage to maintain the car in such perfect running condition. We tell them that the car is just like one of the members of the family,” she smiles.

Shahed concedes that it is time-consuming to maintain the car and a challenge to find spare parts in the City. “The tail light chipped off recently and I had to get it imported from Italy by paying Rs 3,500 because I couldn’t get it here,” he says. Shahed adds that he never sends the car out but has the mechanic come over to his house to repair it whenever required.

“You could call it possessiveness but I don’t really like leaving the car in the hands of total strangers,” he elaborates.

The family is more than willing to add to the collection. “I would like to buy a Morris Minor but I am yet to find an original one. I don’t like it when vintage vehicles are modified. It takes away the originality and charm,” he says. His wife Za pitches in, “As a family, we share a deep admiration and love for vintage and classic vehicles. So there’s no doubt about adding on provided it is a genuine purchase.”

Shahed Musa Sait can be reached on [e-mail]