JOIN USRemembrance of drives past
It’s indeed a sight to behold, the bevy of beauties resting majestically on the sprawling lush farm in Gowdgere village of Manchenahalli taluk in Chikkaballapura district. These vintage classic cars are the treasured collection of G V Ramakrishna, a senior bank official based in Muscat, Oman. Fondly called Ramki, his only motivation in possessing these cars is a passion for such cars that he has had from his childhood days.
I met Ramki when I was working in Muscat. On one occasion, he told me about his fascination for these graceful automobiles of the bygone days. Ramki, who often visits his hometown and Bengaluru where his first home is, cultivated an interest in classic cars at an early age. His father and other elders in the family were also fond of them. Classic cars like the Morris Minor, the Fiat Millecento and the Ambassador-Mark 2 were his family’s prized possessions. A legacy of love handed down from generations!
Says Ramki, “Taking a ride in or driving an Ambassador always had its own excitement. Soon, it became an addiction of sorts to own and drive vintage cars.” A 1932-Austin 7 and 1947- Austin A40 are the two cars he showers lavish praises on. “The diminutive Austin 7, also called the ‘Chummy’, was a car in great demand those days. Currently, that car is under restoration. The best feature of that car is its simple engineering design,” says Ramki.
Not an easy passion
For Ramki, his initial collection further heightened his passion for owning more such cars. He subsequently began his search to add to his vintage collection. Among his modest collection are Austin 7 (1932), Austin A40 (1947), Morris Minor (1951), Fiat Select (1961) and the Ambassador Mark 2 (1964). Before shifting his base to Oman where he works at Oman’s largest bank, Ramki used to take these beauties for long drives. He does this even now whenever he comes to Bengaluru on vacation. His present collection hasn’t really satiated his passion for classic cars and Ramki is now scouting for more vintage cars from Germany.
Owning such cars and maintaining them blow big holes in one’s pocket, says Ramki. “Yes definitely, but passion drives me to go for them.” The most difficult part of this passion isn’t the high prices of these cars, but maintaining them, he says. It’s very difficult to procure their spare parts. “It is a challenge, sourcing parts, but I have some good contacts mainly managed by my restorers who have made my hunt for spare parts not that difficult,” avers Ramki.
His fleet of old classic cars has been showcased in various vintage car shows and rallies and has been the cynosure of many eyes. For Ramki, driving these beauties around brings back nostalgic memories of the days when these machines were kings of the roads and driving was a genteel pursuit. All his cars are in good condition and all of them rev up when turned on. He is particular about keeping all of his vehicles in running condition and takes personal interest in ensuring that they are properly maintained. It is because of people like Ramki that these classics still remain fresh in our memory.