Keeping an old passion alive

Vintage pride

It’s hard for Umesh Samuel to pick out a favourite car from his grand lineup of vintage and classic vehicles. Every car in Umesh’s stable is special for him not only because he took a lot of trouble in restoring each one of them but also because he has personally handpicked every vehicle.  

Umesh picked up the passion for old cars from his father who owned these vehicles. “I used to watch my father carefully buy and maintain each one of his cars. I’ve travelled in them as a child and would also get dropped in these cars to school and later to college,” recalls Umesh.    

Umesh bought his first car when he was 27 years old and hasn’t looked back since. He not only buys these vehicles but also restores them himself.

“It’s been a hobby for me. I buy only abandoned cars, restore them and put them back on the road. All the cars that I have worked on have an interesting story about how they were abandoned by the original owners and each restoration process is different and unique in its own way,” says Umesh.  

The 1978 Mark III Ambassador was found abandoned on the road, beside the apartment that he lived in. “The car was in a bad shape when I first saw it. There were several parts of the car that were rusted and worn out. I asked the owners why they weren’t doing anything about it and they said that the brakes were jammed and they didn’t know anybody who could work on the car,” recollects Umesh. He then offered to buy the car from them for Rs 10,000. “The first thing that drew me to the car was the colour and design which was indeed rare among the Ambassador model of cars. The colour was slate grey and it was the new colour series of Mark III Ambassador that was launched at that time. The original colour has been retained and the car has been restored to its original beauty,” says Umesh.

He has also done several modifications to the car. “I have got a bucket seat fixed in the car because it makes for comfortable seating. I have added a floor shift gear box and I’ve also installed a radium meter box in which the contents are bright and clearly visible. I can confidently drive around the Ambassador and not worry about getting stuck anywhere. The car is in perfect running condition,” he says. Umesh’s friend Varghese also assists him in the restoration process.  

Another car that Umesh is very fond of is his 1976 Mercedes which he bought a few years ago.  “I restored the Mercedes with the help of an old friend and all the parts for this vehicle have been sourced from abroad while some were sent to me by some friends. I am also a member of the Ambassador club here which is helpful in gathering a lot of information about the car,” he says.

Umesh is unhappy that he can’t spend a lot of time with his cars, thanks to a full-time job as the principal of a school near KR Puram.

“I can’t wait to retire in order to be able to spend more time working on the cars. I also help a few of my friends in doing up their old vintage and classic cars but the only condition that I put forth is that they must let me work at my pace,” says Umesh. His wife Metilda and daughter Simran are supportive of Umesh’s hobby. He also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of adding to his fleet.

(Umesh can be contacted at 9845240639)

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