Moving with Mercedes

"No classic car event has spurred a movement like the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR). It has become the ‘must attend’ event for Mercedes classic car owners, many of whom are buying a classic just to take part. The strong turnout at this event also reflects the unmatched heritage Mercedes enjoys,” reminded Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India that organized the ninth edition of the Rally jointly with Mercedes-Benz on November 20, 2022.
The 72 cars in the Rally were flagged off from the Taj Lands End in Bandra to Worli Sea Face and back. "Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL, that has the Taj properties under its banner) is proud to be associated with what is believed to be Asia’s finest classic car rally and amongst the best worldwide,” commented Jehangir Press, associate vice president, IHCL. "The iconic collaboration (among) India’s foremost hospitality brand, the world’s original automotive magazine and the undisputed icon of the automobile industry is truly special,” he added.

Yashvardhan Ruia’s 1929 Nurburg leads the convoy of cars

Hormazd Sorabjee (l) and Bandrawalla

Resuming the format of its first edition in 2014, the night before the Rally the participants brought their rare and familiar icons for display, under the stars and in the floodlights, with the privileged car owners invited to a gala dinner. Nearly 300 entries had been received for the ninth edition, but curator Perseus Bandrawalla "tried to avoid duplication.” Of the participating cars from Bombay, Poona, Goa, Rajkot and Cochin, 68 were different models, built decades apart. More than 50% of these cars made their show debut this year, after their restoration. The cost of restoration could vary between three lakh rupees to over a crore, depending on the model and the work required, explained Bandrawalla.
The rally was flagged off by Vishwas Nangre Patil, joint police commissioner (law and order), and Martin Schwenk, managing director and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz India. According to Patil, "The passion for classic cars in the city is very evident thanks to this magnificent show.” Admiring "the sheer passion of the owners who celebrate Mercedes-Benz’s heritage,” Schwenk added, "It is a pleasure to see our customers come together as one family to celebrate and drive these icons of luxury.”
The oldest car at the show was Yashvardhan Ruia’s 1929 Nurburg that loaded with seven passengers comfortably cruised at 80 kmph, the maximum permissible speed limit on the Worli stretch. Other marquee names and their entries included publisher and collector Viveck Goenka’s S-Class collection, Pratapsinh Gaekwad’s 230SL Pagoda, Gautam Singhania’s 300S Adenauer cabriolet...
Parked in the first row was Behram Dubash’s 300 Adenauer, one of the star cars of the show. The car is called the Adenauer after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany who employed nearly six such cars in his fleet. Yet another eye-catcher was a 170V owned by Gillian and Purazar Fouzdar. Restoration of this pre World War II vehicle was specially undertaken at the Mercedes-Benz workshop, read a prominently displayed plaque in front of the car. It is this model, manufacturing of which was resumed following the War, that brought the company out of near bankruptcy, mentioned Bandrawalla. Considering it "a privilege to be invited to this magical car extravaganza,” Purazar, advocate in the Bombay High Court, acknowledged "the immaculate curation that was a showcase of the most beautiful stars that live in our heads and hearts.”
To businessman Yohan Poonawalla, "Being a Mercedes-Benz collector myself, taking part in this year’s edition in my modern classic SLS AMG Gullwing, a car inspired by the original 300SL Gullwing, was a great experience.” In his R129 320SL, Yohaan Daruwala of Homes by Firefly, commented that MBCCR is "one of the best curated events in the automotive space.”
Other Parsis to happily participate in the Rally were adman Rayomand Patell with his W201 190D, Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee Xerxes Dastur with his SL 500, and Formula 4 racer Natasha Puri was driving her friend’s R 107 380 SL. Bandrawalla’s W124 sedan too was part of the Rally.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the S class, seven generations of the car, parked next to each other were on display as also its predecessor. On view in the E class was every body style — from coupes, cabriolets and limousines to estates and sedans, stated their press note. According to Bandrawalla, Mercedes-Benz has become the most popular classic car brand in India and for good reason. "No other carmaker has as many classic cars on our roads or the official factory support for spare parts and restoration.”