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Vintage and vanity scored over the virus when proud owners of the stately automobiles drove in their resplendent, restored vehicles to participate in the seventh edition of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) that was flagged off at Taj Lands End on December 13, 2020 observing the necessary Covid protocols. Of the 46 cars that were selected this year, it is "quite commendable that a significant number of them were Parsi owned,” commented the curator of the Rally, Perseus Bandrawalla.
Among the Mercedes-Benz "stars” at the 2020 Rally were 300 Adenauer that belongs to Behram Dubash of the DBC Group, 220 S Cabriolet, which according to stories in circulation among car lovers was Shapoorji Pallonji patriarch Pallonji Mistry’s engagement gift to Patsy, 190 SL, a family heirloom owned by Sam Katgara of Jeena and Company, 170 V pre-World War II limousine, restored by lawyer Purazar Fouzdar. Also participating in the Rally were adman Rayomand Patell, Neville Poonawalla, director of Rage Motorsport Performance Private Limited, and Sharoukh Engineer, car dealer and workshop owner. Usually there are multiple entries from Hormusji Cama of Mumbai Samachar but due to the pandemic he stayed away from this year’s Rally, revealed Bandrawalla who has been curator for all the seven editions.
"We had the cream of the cars but this year everything was very scaled down due to Covid protocol,” remarked Hormazd Sorabjee, publisher, editor and part owner of Autocar India, the sponsor of the event. As compared to 140 participants last year, in 2020 they had to restrict the number to almost one-third. There were three historic brands that came together in December to make the Rally an event to remember: Mercedes, founded in 1886, is the oldest car manufacturer in the world. Autocar, founded in 1895 is the oldest automobile magazine in the world. The Taj, founded in 1903 is the oldest hotel chain in India. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MBCCR is considered "India’s No. 1 classic car show and one of the most prestigious and largest one-make classic car shows in the world,” asserted 57-year-old Sorabjee and 36-year-old Bandrawalla who conceptualized the event over a cup of coffee at the Willingdon Sports Club in 2014. In western countries there are probably thousands of Mercedes-Benz  four-wheelers that would be included as classic cars but in India this event assumes greater "significance as very few Mercedes-Benz vehicles were imported until the economy opened up,” stressed Bandrawalla. While traditionally classic cars are 50 to 100 years old, of sufficient historical interest to be collectible and worth preserving or restoring rather than scrapping, modern classics are generally 15 to 25 years old.
As curator, Bandrawalla decides on the entries based on the condition of the car, its year of manufacture and the rarity of the model. The proud owners of classics are happy to flaunt their well-maintained possessions year after year although there are no prizes to be won. Participation in the prestigious event earns a badge and certificate. Entries in 2020 were only accepted from Maharashtra to minimize any coronavirus complications. Earlier maharajas from across the country would send their prized vehicles on a flat-bed truck with a mechanic and a cleaner.
"The convoy of classic cars is like a museum on wheels,” stated the curator, with every generation of Mercedes-Benz. From the chairman of The Indian Express Group Viveck Goenka’s 1929 W08 Nurburg, the oldest model to be flagged off first at the 2020 Rally, to the modern classics of the 1990s at the rear end, it is educative to see "the evolution of automobiles,” how the bonnet and headlight designs changed, how the engines and radiators functioned differently. There was a time when Goenka brought 12 of his cars for the Rally but this year there was a limitation. Another from his collection that was in the limelight was the iconic W111 Fin­­tail. Gautam Singhania from the Raymond group got an opportunity to showcase his impeccable 190 SL. To make MBCCR relevant during the pandemic, some frontline Covid-19 warriors, especially the women in the Maharashtra Police force were felicitated and presented trophies by chief guest Anil Deshmukh, home minister of Maharashtra, after the Rally completed its course from Taj Lands End to Worli Sea Link and back. "The Mumbai Police is not going to give up and the fight will go on for as long as it takes. I’m extremely happy to see events such as these recognizing their service to society in this unprecedented time,” Deshmukh was quoted in an online report in Autocar India.
"We at Mercedes-Benz have been relentlessly supporting the state and central governments in the fight against Covid-19 and we will continue doing our bit until the fight is over,” remarked Santosh Iyer, vice president (sales and marketing) of Mercedes-Benz India who flagged off the event along with Deshmukh. "It’s a pleasure to see so many ‘car-proud’ participants, men and women who are proud of the heritage and innovation of Mercedes-Benz cars and have taken great pains to keep their cars immaculately maintained,” added Iyer.
In his concluding address at the Rally, Bandrawalla noted, "This Rally for Resilience, emerging from a truly trying year, is best represented by these classic Mercedes-Benz cars that have remained resilient against the test of time.”