THRISSUR: In the wake of the Green Tribunal banning ten-year-old diesel vehicles in six cities and Kerala High Court issuing a stay on the order on June 10, owners of more than 5,000 vintage cars in Kerala have demanded an exemption. They say a vintage status will help them continue to use these vehicles of immense antique value.
Vintage Car Association president Arun Cheloor said the stay order was temporary, and the state government needed to give them a unique categorisation and vintage number plates. Like in Tamil Nadu, they are ready to pay ‘green tax’ for occasionally taking such old cars out.
Like the US made Plymouth (1951), Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Biscayne, Dodge, German Mercedes-Benz W123, W110 of Benz (1967), British made cars like Standard Super 10 and Morris and Willys Jeeps, the cost of foreign vintage varies from Rs 10 to Rs 30 lakh. The most of the vintage cars in the state are Indian classics like Ambassador, Premier Padmini, Contessa, Hindustan 14 (1952 model which is the predecessor to Ambassador) and they count up to more than 4,000.
“As most of the vintage cars run on diesel we are apprehensive of the Green Tribunal order. Like in the US, we hope that the state government will give special vintage recognition and vintage number plates for our cars. These cars are part of history and need to be preserved like historical monuments,” Mr Cheloor told DC.
Vintage cars
The association would soon present a memorandum to the state transport commissioner and finance and transport ministers in this regard. They said it was a sheer passion that they restore the vehicles like Russian-made Zil 6x6 trucks of the 70s, Italian Fiat models like Belili (1933 model)and Nissan Jonga Jeep of six cylinders as it was difficult for them to find the body parts like head lights, tail lamps, rubber beading and indicator lights.
Like all private vehicles, these cars undergoes fitness test every five years. The owner of vintage cars often needs to go in search of these spare parts to Opera House in Mumbai, Gandhipuram in Coimbatore, J C Road in Bangalore and in Chennai where some of the workshop owners still keep a stock of body parts of vintage vehicles.
“For the owners, their vintage vehicles are a matter of pride and for period films the art directors often come in search of such cars as they are essential to show a particular phase in history,” says Cheloor. The car Mercedes-Benz W123 used in the film Aaraam Thampuran by Mohan Lal was earlier owned by him, and Benz W110 in Ennu Ninte Moideen is presently owned by him.
For US Classic cars, the owners often need the help of their friends in the US to bring some of the body parts. As the modern day cars have several electronic gadgets integral to them, it is almost impossible to preserve the cars which hit the market since the early 90s, but the vintage cars which are normally called ‘mechanical cars’ could be easily repaired for defects to their engines, he noted.
