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Each new acquisition is a joyous moment and a challenging one also; repairing and restoring the vehicles is itself a pleasure,” declared Isphanyar Bhandara of Rawalpindi, referring to his coveted collection of 21 Mercedes Benz cars that he has nurtured over the last 17 years, maintaining them in a pristine condition. "You have to use them regularly without long gaps, otherwise they give trouble… I take a different one daily to office, not to show off but to keep them in a running condition,” Bhandara, chief executive officer of Murree Brewery, referred to his fascination for the German automobile brand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It is very hard to find all these classics,” declared the car collector. Included in his prestigious collection are nine sedans (passenger cars in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for engine, passengers and cargo), seven coupes (cars with two doors and a sloping rear), three convertibles (or cabriolets that permit an open-air driving experience since the roof can be retracted when desired) and two limousines (large, luxury vehicles with a partition between the driver’s compartment and the passengers). In his possession are models from the early 1960s to the present day, yet no cars are repeated. "Instead there are sedan, cabriolet, and coupe versions of the same model,” clarified Bhandara when responding to email queries from Parsiana.
Ever since he bought his first Mercedes, a 1974 SLC 350 in 2004 at the age of 31, all his purchases "have been sourced locally, either through word of mouth or just spotted rotting on the road.” While the cheapest variant was bought for approximately nine lakh Pakistani rupees (USD 5,881), the most expensive one came for 35 lakh Pakistani rupees (USD 22,873). Subsequently he needed to spend considerable amounts on restoration and annual maintenance that differs from model to model. More than the financial investment, he takes pride in the effort and passion he dedicates to his hobby. "Money can’t buy class…” he believes.
Housed in his spacious garage, the line-up of his Mercedes cars may now look ready for a rally, however 70% of them required major overhaul, revealed the owner. Whether fitting new engines or gearless mechanisms or changing upholstery or giving the cars an appropriate coat of paint, restoring the vehicles to their original splendor is particularly fulfilling to his team. "The problems in old cars are corrosion, rusty pipes, leakages and sometimes unavailability of parts,” he stated. Unlike Karachi, rust is much lower in Rawalpindi though.
He is fortunate to have an in-house team of mechanics and electricians who besides maintaining the tractors, forklifts and delivery vans at Murree Brewery look after the Mercedes collection too. The expertise of the earlier mechanics from Lahore is now difficult to source, and the young, new breed identify a fault by mainly looking at the computers in front of them and determining which parts need to be replaced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhandara recalls his childhood when the swanky Mercedes was a fairly visible brand on the roads in Pakistan. His late father Minoo too had a 1978 Mercedes although he was not interested in cars. "To him, it was nothing more than a mode of transport,” stated Isphanyar. Despite his father’s reservations that it was "a bad investment and a sheer waste of time, I started collecting cars,” he reported.
In an interview with the online portal Wheels of Pakistan, shared on YouTube, Isphanyar explained his reasons for focusing on one brand for his car collection: Once contacts are established with spare parts suppliers, garages, mechanics, maintenance becomes easier. "It’s like one family,” he stressed. As stated his interviewer, unlike other cars that age with mileage, German cars like Mercedes age with time. Wheels of Pakistan considered Isphanyar’s collection unparalleled in Pakistan.
Questioning Pakistan’s "illogical laws” that ban import of cars older than four years and unreasonable duties of some 400% on new imports, Isphanyar commented: "People here are bound to stick with whatever is available, or simply get them smuggled into the country in some cases.  These laws are there to supposedly protect the local industry.” As a parliamentarian in the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2013 to 2018, "I tried to convince the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who himself is an avid car enthusiast to allow imports of 40-50-year-old vehicles after paying a nominal duty, but to no avail. A vintage of the 60s or the 70s is no threat to today’s family car,” he points out.
"The roads in Pakistan are very safe and comfortable to drive classics as well as new cars,” noted Isphanyar referring to the 900 km three-lane motorway which runs from Peshawar to Multan offering a wonderful opportunity for cruising. Happy to overcome challenges, he considers it "part of the fun” if a Mercedes that temporarily stops functioning is repaired and made roadworthy again.
His elder son, Zane, helps too with the upkeep of the cars and drives them from time to time. The 20-year-old is as passionate about the Mercedes fleet as the father and aims to build "the finest collection of Mercs.” Ultimately, Isphanyar will be happy to pass on his Mercedes legacy to his sons Zane and Zaal but only "on the condition that they put in the same labor of love.”