It is believed that the first car came to India around 1900. Popular with maharajas and industrialists, there were soon a couple of thousand cars by the early 20th century.
Rolls Royces were especially popular and by Independence some 730 had been imported; the first as early as 1907. Its popularity in Raj India led it to be dubbed the Pearl of the East and the company opened a depot in Mumbai.
The largest owner of vintage cars in India today is industrialist Pranlal Bhogilal. This businessman's stunning collection (numbering about 250; entered in the Guinness Book of World Records) came into existence because the Bhogilals traditionally never parted with a car. They always kept their cars within the family but never sold them and years added value to the fleet.
Over time Pranlal added loads of lovelies -- among them a rare French Hispano Suiza (once belonged to the Maharaja of Alwar and used
for hunting), George VI's 1947 Daimler Royale. A few of Bhogilal's garees were entered into this year's rally, like every year, but Bhogilal, who is the president of Vintage Clasic Car Club of India, does not compete (in order to give the smaller contestants scope).
Estimates put India's vintage car population at about 2,000 or less. Apart from Bhogilal, industrialist and UB group chairman Vijay Mallya and Sharad Sanghi, head of of Sanghi Brothers, Indore, are avid collectors as well. Mallya also entered a few classics in the rally.
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