Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Life in reverse gear

At last week’s Modern Classic Rally, cars built from 1970 to 2010 got Mumbai enthusiasts to cruise down memory

Nostalgia is a powerful force. It’s why so many people yearn for the days when there were no mobile phones, internet, or social media. All cars in the 2023 Modern Classic Car Rally last week belonged to that era. A Modern Classic is any car built between 1970 and 2010, and includes all body styles, from sports cars, coupes, sedans, practical vans and rugged off-roaders.

There were classic Mercedes-Benzs and old-school BMWs at the rally. Making its first outing was also a legendary US Army HUMVEE (above).

The rally itself is a relaxed Sunday drive, with enthusiasts cruising in cars that have no navigation, no complicated infotainment systems, no voice commands. The only screen in the vehicles is the windscreen. This year, 55 cars from the Modern Classic era set off from Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt hotel in one grand convoy to an incredible reception from city folks, who lined the streets for most of the 25km route.

Interestingly, the one brand that has ruled the classic car scene is Mercedes-Benz, which makes it kind of a gateway brand for enthusiasts and new collectors. The manufacturer, in turn, takes, its legacy seriously and supports classic car owners with spare parts, restoration advice and even helps dig out the provenance of a particular model and sale. Not surprisingly some of the best cars at this year’s rally were Mercs.

A pair of Mercedes SLSs, parked side by side at the start of the rally, with their iconic gullwing doors swung open, were the most photographed cars of the show. Several generations of the Mercedes-Benz SL sports coupe showed up, including the R107, the most famous SL, whose production run from 1971 to 1989 makes it the most enduring sports car of its time.

Making its debut was the Audi 100, the one that cricketer Ravi Shastri was famously awarded in the 1985 Cricket World Championship. It’s the car that made Audi a household name in India a good 20 years before the German luxury brand entered the Indian market. Restored impeccably by the Supercar Garage in Thane, you can’t get a modern classic with better provenance than this.

Ravi Shastri’s Audi 100, from the 1985 cricket world championship, made its debut alongside cars from North America such as the Mustang and the Cuda.

Wowing the crowds was Viveck Goenka’s Jaguar E-Type and his Citroen DS, whose hydro-pneumatic suspension was way ahead of its time. Today, 50 years on, it still delivers the feeling of driving on velvet. There were also Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Land Rovers, Mustangs, Porsches, and India’s only Ferrari Mondial.

There were lots of classic BMWs too, including my own E30 325i. It belonged to Jangoo Nicholson, a cotton baron and famous art collector who, in the late 1980s, raced this very BMW at the Madras and Juhu race meets. He was 75 back then and easily beat rivals half his age.

My Bimmer, 35 years on, is still a joy to drive, exuding a mechanical purity that is simply absent in a modern BMW dulled down with layers of electronics. The E30’s direct steering, immediate throttle response and feedback from the road has a special intimacy that makes classic cars so endearing.

It endears them to others too. Every time I take my E30 out, I make new friends. ‘What engine does it have? Where do you get your spares? Is it reliable?’ they want to know. Classic car owners are always happy to answer. It’s the bonhomie among car owners that makes a classic car more than just a car. When you own a classic it becomes your partner for life, one with its own idiosyncrasies, kinks and faults and one that needs constant love and attention. It’s the closest you’ll get to marrying something mechanical. Ask any classic car owner’s spouse.