Close to 200 vintage vehicles participated in the rally organised by General Motors

Classic cars roll down Delhi's roads

Close to 200 vintage vehicles participated in the rally organised by General Motors

The Capital swung into high gear on Sunday. The line-up included convertibles, tourers, sedans, two and four-door cars and coupes and the occasion was a vintage car rally organised by General motors to commemorate the 100 years of its Chevrolet brand.

Start your engines: Chevrolet Vintage Car Rally at Rajpath in New Delhi
on Sunday. PIC/SUBHASH BAROLIA

Timeless classics like Bel-Airs, Chevrolet Impalas and Corvairs, some dating back to 1926, took part in the rally. That was a time when Lutyens' Delhi did not exist and Parliament and Rashtrapati Bhavan were still under construction.

New Delhi became the Capital of India only in 1930, taking over the baton from Kolkata.
The vehicles made their way through Chanakyapuri, Mother Teresa Crescent and India Gate and finally went back to Hotel Claridges.

"We are partnering with the Heritage Motoring Club of India for this rally and it's an exciting day to ride the 28-km route with vintage Chevrolet cars. People have seen these cars in old Bollywood movies but we are giving them an opportunity to touch and feel them," GM India president and managing director Karl Slym said.

"I've brought two Chevys, one is a 1927 tourer and the other is a 1938 Phaeton. I love such vintage rallies and this is my tenth participation in such a rally," Madan Mohan, a 37-year-old businessman who came from Gurgaon to participate in the rally, said.

Mohan, a businessman, is a vintage car connoisseur and has more than 250 of such classics in his garage, of which 30 are Chevrolets."I've had this Impala for the last 17 years and had purchased it from the extended family of the Nizam of Hyderabad. I've literally grown up around such cars and I absolutely love them," said GS Grewal, a businessman who brought a 1955 Bel-Air with him.

100 years of chavy

Chevrolet, also known as Chevy, is a brand of vehicles produced by General Motors Company (GM). Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. It Chevrolet continues to hold its position as General Motors' highest-selling brand to the present day, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM. Chevrolet is among the newest brands in India launched by GM's India operations. Until June 6, 2003 (the official birthday of Chevrolet), GM India (which was originally a joint venture with Hindustan Motors) sold the Opel Corsa, Opel Astra, and the Opel Vectra. The Corsa and Astra were built at a plant in Halol, Gujarat.

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