Mercedes Benz sprawls in the courtyard of the Dinakarans near Govindapuram. It has just had a wash, all four doors are ajar, inviting a reluctant sun to dry it. However, the Dinakarans are quick to tell you the Mercedes Benz is definitely not the most prized automobile in their household. Instead, siblings Dinakaran, Dinesh and Subhagya, lead you to the end of the courtyard which resembles a mini garage. In the last row are four cars, all over 50 years of age — a 1951-Hillman, a 1952-model Morris, a Fiat and a Fiat Nouvelle, both built in 1952. “We take care of them as if they are children,” says Dinakaran, who runs the family business. Old cars are a fascination shared by the siblings and it has rubbed off on the next generation too.
Subhagya brings out old petrol bills, in fact, of four litres of fuel filled in 1961 for Rs. 2.80. “Our mother still keeps these bills,” says Subhagya. Also comes out a laminated picture of their father N.C. Kutty, the original automobile lover in the family, in a 1936-Baby Austin and of him driving a 1948-Ford Prefect. The Austin, the siblings say, is not in their memory. But the majestic Ford is a pang now. “We forced father to sell it. We were a tad embarrassed about it then,” says Dinakaran.
Dinesh remembers long journeys, at times to Hyderabad and Pazhani, in the Ford. “Now, it is an intense desire to get back a Ford like that,” says Dinesh.
A 1937-Austin 7 and a 1948-Ford in flaming red are almost showpieces at businessman Praveen Kumar’s shop on Kannur Road. Praveen says the cars have many visitors. “Many travelling on the highway walk in to take a look,” says Praveen.
On occasions, curious onlookers are trouble. “Two-wheeler riders on the road stop their bikes right across the car, take out their phones and click pictures. I miss a heart-beat when that happens. The Austin has mechanical brakes and it does not come on swiftly as modern cars. I have to struggle to brake on time,” says Praveen. He admits, the Austin and Ford do not venture out of the showroom much now, the last trip being over a year ago. But that was not the case when he acquired the Austin in 1985. “I got it from Chennai for Rs.19,000. It’s engine, gearbox, metres and steering wheel are the same. But vintage was not big then. People would sing, “Thallu, thallu, thallipoli vandi” (Push, push, the useless vehicle). But, old automobiles demand horse power and manpower too,” he laughs. A regular model on the road is Praveen’s 1948-Hindustan which still runs errands for his home. “I got it three years ago and it is immensely comfortable to ride.”
The Dinakarans are proud of their healthy oldies. “All of them get a ride once a week,” says Dinesh.
For businessman Natarajan P.S. and his brother, giving a ride to Natarajan’s handful of old cars is a task in itself. “ I have a Ford Prefect, which I got over a year ago from Bangalore. It is a limited edition one with roof that can be opened,” explains Natarajan. Automobiles, he says, have always been a passion. “My father always had a car and I grew up on Ambassadors and Fiats.” Ambassadors continue to be a soft-spot for Natarajan and he has different versions beginning with a 1956-Landmaster and Station Wagon to Mark I, II, III and IV.
Restoring oldNatarajan’s fetish for old automobiles extends to getting them restored. So, the cars in his garage appear spanking new. “I have a 1933-Austin which is now being worked upon in the garage. Most of the cars I acquire cannot be maintained as such. It would be something close to scrap. Then we paint it and restore it bit by bit. Yet 95 per cent of the car will have original parts. In the Ambassadors engines have been changed to replace petrol ones with diesel,” says Natarajan.
According to Natarajan, love for old automobiles has to go hand-in-hand with an eye for scraps. “When I go to Bangalore or Chennai for work, I inevitably visit the scrap market,” he says.
Scraps, though, are not a concern for the Dinakarans. They have spare parts for a few cars with them. “Since we grew up on these vehicles, we can attend to their niggles. If it is a bigger issue, we bring the person home to mend it,” says Dinakaran. What matters to the Dinakarans is the absolute originality of old automobile parts. The only sign of the new on their Morris is couple of club stickers on the mirror. “Everything including the monogram, the front grill, the headlight rim is original. Otherwise, an old automobile doesn’t interest us,” says Dinesh.
What owners acknowledge unanimously is the instant head-turners their beauties are on the road. “When my son comes, he doesn’t want the Benz, but the Morris. Whenever we have somewhere important to go, we take the Morris too,” says Dinakaran.
If old cars on the road were pooh-poohed before, owners say now they are hard to source. “People often call asking if we are selling or whether we can procure a model for them. But the real test is maintenance. If you don’t use it, battery goes down, carbonator gets clogged,” points out Dinakaran. The brothers say they often get requests to use their cars for weddings and film shoots. “But we firmly say ‘no’,” says Dinakaran. Praveen, though, indulges young couple who want a wedding shot in a vintage car.
The value of a vintage is decided by how badly one wants to have it. Natarajan says with a laugh that sometimes one has to pursue an owner to give-up an old automobile. “And still they may not,” he says.
