Committed to their cars

They are almost members of the family. Having grown up with them and seen them groomed with due care, respect and affection, the second generation invariably learns to shower the same attention on the antique automobiles they have inherited from their fathers. To ensure that these veterans are in good company, the children occasionally add to the father’s prized collection.
There are some diehard vintage car owners and admirers within the community who have built up a reputation for treating their roadsters like royalty. With an eye for elegance and a passion for preservation, they have maintained their vintage vehicles in impeccable condition. Among the veteran collectors and restorers willing to speak to Parsiana, Pheroze Mehta, Fali Dhondy, Rony Vesuna and Marespand Dadachanji refer to their favorite cars, the ecstasy of adding a new member to their collection and the agony of waiting for spare parts and mechanics to restore them to their pristine condition.

"My oldest is a ‘post-war’ 1947 model,” says Mehta who possessed his first car when he was 17 years old. "It was my Morris 8 which we bought for Rs 4,125. That’s my Laxmi,” he exults. It was also the same car that carried him to his wedding venue. When his mother protested that "Maari korni sari ma hoon ahiya kèm bèsu (dressed in my finery how can I sit in this car)?” his friend got seat covers made from old curtains. He is also the proud owner of two Dodges. "My Dodge has a huge dickey and I use it to transport spare parts or things for the house. This can’t be done in my Morris.”
Dhondy’s collection ranges from a 1921 Ford T model to a 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSI. He says it is "by luck” that he has also acquired other antique cars like a 1923 Rover 8, 1929 Rolls Royce 20 HP, 1929 Ford A model. At the time of his granddaughter’s navjote, the family traveled a distance of about two kilometers to the Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary in their Rover. His daughter Rashna Poonawala has a soft corner for the classics though and is partial to his 1966 Mercedes 230, a two-door convertible sports car and 1980 Fiat, also a two-door sports car.
"My fondness has always been for Fiats, the cars we grew up with and can hence relate to,” declares Vesuna adding, "They are relatively easier on maintenance and economical. The oldest I have is a 1955 Fiat Millecento, followed by a 1957 Elegant, a 1961 Select, a 1964 Super Select, a 1964 Delight and a 1973 Premier President. Staying at Tata Blocks in Bandra, his cars are not only a joy for himself and his family but also the pride of fellow colony and community car enthusiasts like Zameer Palamkote who referred to Vesuna’s Fiat 1100 Elegant winning a favorable mention from the famed race car driver Sir Stirling Moss in an interview with Auto India magazine of March 2013. When asked for his opinion on the highlight of the prestigious Third Cartier ‘Travel with Style’ Concours d’Elegance held in February 2013, Moss commented, "I do have a little soft spot for the Fiat Millecento (1100 in Italian) that was present. They were really very good cars in their day and the one here is absolutely pristine.”

Viveck Goenka’s 1928 Mercedes Nurburg restored by Marespand Dadachanji

Dhondy’s Rolls Royce 20 HP Tourer

According to Palamkote, "For a car owner to be selected for the Concours is like an actor being nominated for an Oscar… Almost all of the other car owners at the end of the show took their cars (high end cars like Rolls Royces and Bentleys) on flatbed tow trucks to their covered garages back home… while Rony drove his car back to the colony himself where he parks it just like the rest of us, out in the open… All the years that I have seen Rony repair, clean and polish his car had served its purpose…”
Also displayed at the Concours was a Rolls Royce Phantom II restored by Dadachanji. "The who’s who of the vintage car world were there and the car was highly appreciated,” he recalls. Originally ordered for the Maharaja of Jodhpur it is now owned by Amir Jetha. Dadachanji’s personal collection includes two cars that he cherishes – 1939 Morris 8 convertible (two-door) and 1948 Morris Sedan (four-door). The second one, actually bought by his father Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji, "is the car that got me going and my standing in the car world is only because of it…I am now only into restoration.” Being a Parsi he has found that "people trust us with their cars; their space. They know we will not claim that space. One of my clients, owner of S. Kumar, Aniruddh Kasliwal gave me a place to start the whole venture (for a workshop) at Reay Road… I work with Jehangir Bhoot; he does the mechanics, I do the cosmetics. We are complementary to each other.” The oldest car he has restored is a 1915 Ford Model T and a Triumph Spitfire of 1974 is the latest. His preference though is for Rolls Royce specially the Phantom II, Bentley, pre-War cars. Dadachanji values the guidance he has received from Mehta: "He showed me the ropes… how to present the cars to the judges for rallies.”
Regarding spare parts, Mehta says a hunt down Chor Bazar may help one find what he/she wants. For his Chevy, spare parts are usually available in Poona. A search on the Internet too results in some positive results. "Some American companies and agents still manufacture” so spare parts can be brought down if one has the necessary contacts. As parts involving rubber tend to wear away, one can’t store them, he has learnt. Being also an owner of a Fiat that was gifted to him he says, "Since Fiats are still made, spare parts are available.”
Vesuna though maintains, "Production of these genuine parts stopped decades ago and sometimes we chance upon some old stock from vandalized old cars lying unsold in a shop. Else we have to make do with spares, often of poor quality. Many times these too are not available and we have to alter some existing parts. This depends largely on the skill of the mechanic and can often lead to more problems.” The spare parts shops at Chor Bazar and Opera House "are drying up very fast,” states Dadachanji. Finding spares is very difficult as no British and American parts are available, he says. One can hope though for a windfall in the form of a telephone call concerning a jalopy: "Ghamsaan paréloo chhè, aavi né lai jao (there is a junk car lying around; come and collect it.”

Clockwise from top: Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji in his two-door Morris 8 Convertible,

Mehta with Chrysler New Yorker Sedan; Mehta and wife with their Dodge 1955 Model 3 Kingsway Custom;

Repairs and renovation of vintage cars "is big business,” states Mehta who describes himself as an expert on Morris and Chrysler and can "guide the mechanic on what to do…but I know very little about Austins, Hillmans, Rileys, etc.”
"There are now a few garages specializing in repairs of older cars though these are often costly affairs. The work is very labor intensive and time consuming, and hence more expensive. Often even when one is willing to pay, the work is not up to the mark. The top restorers often have waiting periods running into years!” comments Vesuna.
Whilst Dhondy’s cars used to be originally maintained by his son Edul, after the youngster chose to relocate to Australia, Fali has engaged a full-time mechanic. Since members of the Dhondy family have been rallying for the last 30 years, they need to keep their cars in good running condition. Among the prestigious events they have participated in, Fali remembers Rally of the Raj 2000 from Delhi to Bombay in which he and Rashna participated.

Besides Dadachanji there are some other Parsis who specialize in the renovation and repairs of vintage cars: Darayush Netarwala, Kaizad Engineer, Behram Marker, Adil Davar, Minoo Bharucha, Percy Bhathena amongst others. Vintage cars today are becoming unaffordable, points out Mehta. "Who can pay Rs 80 lakhs for a Dodge?” he wonders. He admits though that he is "pestered all the time” by people hoping he will sell. "My New Yorker is top of the line. It is 8 cylinders. I have maintained it well. I drive it whenever I can.” He has been advised now to restrict his usage on the Poona roads as "rickshawalas rip open the monograms.” He parks wherever he can, but not on the public road.
"I have used them. I have loved them. Even at 71, I wash and polish them myself; only the ones I use, not all the other ones,” declares Mehta who has still not forgotten how he acquired a Chrysler he had been eyeing for long. On a drive with his wife, he spotted that particular Chrysler after years. "I recognized it even though the color had changed. It was originally owned by a Parsi family at Ridge Road, then by Dr Badshaw at Cusrow Baug who had passed away by then. When I bought it from his family, it had no batteries, no oil, no petrol, no water. It did not start. I went back with my father and made an offer. I told the family that I had been looking at it for years and I’ll use it all my life. They said they definitely wanted us to have it. We bought it ultimately for Rs 8,000.”

Mercedes 230 SL Sports Convertible also termed ‘Pagoda’ Left: Ferrari 308 GTSI. Both owned by Dhondy

"Usually we come across cars through word of mouth from fellow enthusiasts,” explains Vesuna. "There are some dealers also specializing in collectible cars. If I were to sell a car, it would be through similar channels.”
"I provide cars and tires,” states Dadachanji. "Ours is a close circle, word passes around very quickly.” The Internet and car publications help to publicize the sale too. "Earlier it was only the Parsis” who were in the forefront led by the late Roni Khan, the late Pesi Shroff and Capt Pestonjee Bhujwala. "We pioneered the whole movement but now it is not a monopoly. There are a new crop of owners – lots of Marwaris. In Bombay there are also lots of Gujarati owners,” observes Dadachanji.
Among the professional organizations connected with antique cars is the internationally recognized Vintage and Classic Car Club of India that is authorized to present a certificate to its owner. As compared to the overseas classification, in India it is reportedly more flexible: Antique cars before World War II could be Veteran, Edwardian, Vintage, depending on the decade when it was manufactured. Then come the Classics, the Post War Classics, and the Modern Classics, explains Dadachanji. Yet another body is the Fiat Classic Car Club of India that meets every month to promote networking amongst members and a "chance to take our cars for a spin,” says Vesuna.

Over the years these automobile admirers have learnt that expertise beyond enthusiasm is necessary to keep the wheels moving.

Mehta’s Morris Minor

Automobile lexicon
Beach buggy or Dune buggy: a motor vehicle with oversize tires for use on sand
Camper: a specially equipped vehicle for use during casual travel and camping
Compact: a small automobile
Coupé: a two-door automobile with an enclosed body
Fastback: an automobile having a roof with a long slope to the rear
Hackney or Livery: vehicles for hire
Hatchback: an automobile with a rear hatch that opens upward
Hot rod: an automobile modified for high speed and fast acceleration
Jalopy: a dilapidated vehicle
Junker : an old automobile ready for scrapping
Lemon: an unsatisfactory or defective automobile
Limousine: a large, luxurious often chauffeur driven sedan
Motor home: a large motor vehicle equipped as living quarters
Notchback: an automobile with a trunk whose lid forms a distinct deck
Phaeton: an open automobile with two cross seats
Rattletrap: rickety old car
Recreational vehicle: a vehicle designed for recreational use
Roadster: an open automobile that seats two often with a storage compartment or rumble seat in the rear
Saloon or sedan: an automobile seating four or more people and usually having a permanent top
Shooting brake: vehicle used to carry shooting parties
Sports car: Usually two-door, small automobile designed for spirited performance, high maneuverability and minimum weight
Subcompact: an automobile smaller than a compact
Van: a usually enclosed wagon or motortruck for moving goods or animals
Wagon: an automobile having a long interior, one or more folding or removable rear seats and usually a door at the rear