Vintage pride

Omar Kaiser jokes that had he not been married, he would have been in the Andamans now with his prized possessions — three classic Land Rovers. Hailing from Bengaluru, Omar runs an adventure tourism company, owns lounges and recently started a garden store in the City. “My plan is to go back to adventure tourism where these vehicles play an important role. It was with this intention that I started collecting these Land Rovers. These vehicles have a rich history due to their capability and reliability. More than speed, it’s the capability of the vehicle that is important and the Land Rovers are the best when it comes to being reliable even in the most difficult conditions,” he says.

He remembers his father as an adventurous person, who was not only a mountaineer, horse rider and badminton player, but also a two-wheeler and four-wheeler rallyist.
“At a young age, I was introduced to the outdoors. I took part in various rallys and activities like camping and now, I make sure that my children are also exposed to them,” he says.

Ask him about how he developed a passion for vintage and classic cars and he says, “In 2007, my friend Narayan introduced me to the Land Rovers. Those days, they were not expensive and people did not value them much. So I thought it was a great opportunity to collect them. I bought three for myself and picked up four more for my friend.”

The classics, according to Omar, are tough and not meant to be driven fast. All the three vehicles he owns came to India as ambulances or health care vans, either donated by the WHO or individuals.

The rarest among them is the 1966 Land Rover, an open-top vehicle that belongs to the II A series. It had come from Kulu Manali Mission Hospital as an ambulance. “The surprising part about this Land Rover is that it still has the original engine and gearbox. Razak, the previous owner, had taken a lot of effort to maintain it,” he adds.

The second in the collection is a green Land Rover from Kerala, which belongs to series III 109. It is a 1973 model that belonged to Caritus India, an NGO in Thrissur and was used as an ambulance. The third one in the collection is the white 110 petrol Land Rover, which belonged to the National Tuberculosis Institute, Bengaluru and was used to transport X-ray machines. “All the three vehicles I own are 4×4’s. I also bought a Willys jeep two years ago, which belonged to the Indian Army in 1981.” He adds, “Finding a Willys with a trailer is very rare and I was lucky to have found this one in a small village in Thirthahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru.”

Omar and his children consider these vehicles as family and like to call them by the names that they have given to each one of them.

Omar explains, “It was the 1966 model that made me start collecting Land Rovers. The effect that she had on me was so magical that I named her Maya. I call the one from Kerala — Kairali. She was used as a school bus, ambulance and civil bus before she came to me. Incidently, I found her without a gearbox and an engine and restored her. The last one in the collection is a petrol vehicle and I like to call her Laaila — she is the fastest and most efficient. We call the Willys — Billy, the goat.”

On how he maintains his collection, he says, “I understand vehicles and have been maintaining them for a long time. So I do all the work myself. I source parts from Mumbai and Siliguri and have not imported a single part. Till date, I have never towed any of them to the garage. I have always driven them as they have been in a working condition.”
He adds, “These cars are built to last — the Land Rovers have aluminium bodies and their chassis are made of galvanised steel. This vehicles will live longer than everybody alive today. It is said that 70 per cent of the Land Rovers, that have been manufactured since 1947, are still running.”

Speaking of his love for these vehicles, he says, “After my family, I love my cars the most! I personally want to go to the Andamans. I tell my wife a lot of times that if I was not married, I would have been in the Andamans with Maya, Laaila and Kairali and would have never come back,” he laughs. For details, call 9845581829.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Surupasree Sarmmah , DHNS / August 04th, 2015

They got her an imported ‘body cream’ and she is massaged to sparkle her pista green colour every Sunday. A 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, she is the “happiness” of GB Ravichandra’s family. The best-selling car for the longest time, she has a unique body shape with fins, a rear engine, and a huge boot space at the front.

A classic beauty, she was the childhood dream of Ravichandra who says, “I watched the Beetle rallies as a kid. It was after 20 years that I am able to own one.”
He adds that his dream would not have been fulfilled if it was not for his wife Bharathi. “Although I wanted to own a Beetle, I was skeptical about spending money on it, as it is an expensive hobby. My wife’s support was and is still the biggest boost to my passion.”

It is not just the Beetle that takes him back to his childhood. He also owns a Bajaj scooter. He explains, “It belonged to my dad Bhaskarayya. A family of four — my father, mother, sister and I — have travelled all around in this scooter. With the four of us, there would be some extra luggage too. My father was very passionate and cared more for his scooter than his wife!” A layman’s mode of transport, it is in good running condition and has a humble charm.

His passionate collection of many antique and classic things has led his daughters — Aishwarya and Aashika — to follow his footsteps.

“The passion is completely passed on as we, at the beginning, did not understand the so-called antique charm. But we are a part of it now and have emotions attached to our Beetle,”  they say in unison. They call it a package of love and happiness and Aashika says, “I love the rallies that happen in the City and it is exciting to see many colourful Beetles moving in a single lane. We have made so many friends who share the same passion because of this car.”

Bharathi is equally passionate about this small car and she has made it a point to include the car in every family celebration. “During birthdays or anniversary celebrations, we make sure to deck the car with flowers and placards and take her for a drive with all family members. She is a part of every special
occasion.”

There is a story behind the car’s arrival which he summerises, “I saw an advertisement and she was in Cochin. Hesitant, but later encouraged by my wife, I flew to Cochin. She was in a bad condition and it was an expensive affair. However, I picked her up and got her to Bengaluru in a truck.” She was restored and it took him a year to find the right mechanics and get her back in shape. “Some parts were not original and I had to source them from abroad. It took me a year to get everything fixed — all to her original charm,” he adds.

A left hand drive car, she is a showstopper in the busy traffic and Bharathi says, “While taking her for a drive, people first tend to look at the driving seat, which is usually on the right and jovially think that a lady is driving. Sometimes, we even pretend to hold a rod in the front trying to fool them and this is a fun process.” She adds that the car is a bit tougher to drive because of the left hand steering.

They own another unusual car — 2004 Ambassador Avigo — that has a body shape of a classic ambassador, but a power steering with all the modern amenities. “There are about only hundred cars produced in India and this is made to look like a 1960 model,” he says. He comments on the technology of the classic cars and says, “They are very superior and reliable. The engine parts of this Beetle are rugged and the car does not topple.” With a dream to own many cars including the Citroen 1970 and a classic Mercedes Benz, he concludes, “It has taken me twenty years to own a Beetle and I will never let go of her.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Prajna GR, Bengaluru / DHNS – July 07th, 2015