Keeping the spirit of adventure alive

Vintage pride

Being taken on long drives in his father’s Fiat as a child is still fresh in Kamal Naidu’s memory. The drive in the old car inculcated in Kamal a fascination for vintage and classic vehicles as he grew older and the first thing he did when he began working was to buy himself a green colour 1959 right hand drive Willys.

The green jeep with right hand drive only made Kamal yearn for more vintage vehicles. He soon bought himself another 1954 left hand drive Willys which was red in colour. The red jeep was in a semi-running condition when Kamal first spotted it in Shivamogga. “Both jeeps had to be restored and I worked on the restoration along with a good mechanic on Kanakapura Road who specialises in maintaining old vehicles,” says Kamal.

Kamal also happens to be an off-roader and the two sturdy jeeps serve as his perfect companions when on long drives.  “I drive around within the city but the jeep’s performance is the best known on long distances. These vehicles are made for rough terrains and I’ve travelled to Coorg, Kerala and Chikkamagaluru in them,” shares Kamal, who is also very particular about the colour of his vehicles. “I’ve always liked the military green and I chose to paint one jeep in olive green and the other in red. Both these colours give the vehicles a majestic look,” adds Kamal.

There are a lot of people in the city who own and maintain old vehicles and Kamal has found his circle of friends with similar interests. He is a regular to most of the vintage rallies and thinks these occasions serve as a wonderful platform to meet other vintage collectors and exchange information on these old beauties. “It’s interesting to be a part of vintage rallies because you get to see so many different kinds of vehicles and interact with so many people. You see the rarest of vintage vehicles during rallies,” he says and adds that he is
indeed proud to be the owner of one. Driving on Bengaluru roads is an adventure of sorts, observes Kamal because he has a lot of people who stare at the jeep, especially at signal lights, exchange their visiting cards and sometimes even strike a conversation with Kamal. He is also overwhelmed by the appreciation he gets when driving around in his jeep. “The jeeps are head-turners and draw a lot of attention,” he admits.

Kamal has also had a lot of people ask him, if he would like to sell his jeeps for a fancy price and he has only one answer, “I would rather add to my fleet than sell what I have.” He is at present on the look out for vehicles that belong to the 1940s or even older. “It is rare to find them and are expensive but I am hopeful that I will be able to add to my collection,” he says.  
Kamal feels a lot of youngsters, including his son Soorya Naidu, are passionate about collecting old vehicles and they are also interested in learning how to maintain them. “Young people are genuinely interested in buying these vehicles. I have a lot of youngsters who come and ask me about the jeep and where I bought it from. They evince a lot of interest in its history and the functioning of the jeep,” he adds.

Kamal’s wife Manjula is supportive of his collection and his son Soorya prefers driving around in the City but hasn’t ventured on long drives just yet. “Off-roading is just as dangerous as it is adventurous. My son still hasn’t got into that adventurous path. May be he will someday,” Kamal signs off.

(Kamal can be reached on [e-mail])