The glamour of vintage  automobiles and royal lineages  is undeniable. So when Historic Auctions Private Ltd., India’s first specialist automobile and automotive fine arts auction house hosted a preview for their inaugural auction of Collectible Automobiles and Automotive Art at the Museo Camera, Gurugram, it was surely a class act.  

The event was indeed unique. To quote HH Rana Manvendra Singh Barwani, Chairman, Historic Auctions, “Historic Auctions was born out of the need of the enthusiast for a reliable and transparent platform to indulge their passion for classic cars and the joy and prestige associated with the hobby.” Clearly, India, with a history that is replete with royal lineages was long overdue for an initiative like this. 

The impressive list of attendees at the event was matched only by the vintage beauties on display. While  HH Maharaja Gaj Singhji II of Marwar-Jodhpur was the Chief Guest, the presence of personalities like actor and motorsport enthusiast Gul Panang , lawyer Diljeet Titus of  top law firm Titus and Co,Rrajya Sabha MP, KTS Tulsi, filmmaker Muzzafer Ali (whose art works were on display for the auction), art curator Ina Puri, ghazal singer Minu Bakshi, writer and hotelier Aman Nath along with other eminent personalities added weight to the inaugural evening. Talking about his paintings, Muzzafer Ali said , “For me and many others like me, a car is a toy. Every time I see a car, a certain playfulness awakens within me. The Automobile is the greatest cult the human race has discovered for itself, both in war and peace” . Proceeds from the sale of the paintings are pledged to the Kotwara Welfare Trust.

Cars at the preview included beauties such as:

A 1959 Cadillac Sedan de Ville in “Cadillac Pink” – made famous by Hollywood. This car is recognisable for its distinctive, tall tailfins with dual bullet tail lights.

A 1958 MG A-1500 sportscar from the era when aerodynamics started playing an important role and is the first production streamlined body from the MG stables.

 A rare, 1958 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, which is the vehicle that lay the founding stone for the current Land Cruiser – a Japanese Icon.  

A Fiat 500C “Topolino”; Topolino translates from Italian literally as “little mouse”, and came to be affectionately known as ‘Mickey Mouse’.

A single owner, original 1982 Mercedes-Benz 200 will also be on display, which will be auctioned in aid of the CKS Foundation. Known as the W123, one of the most successful Mercedes ever, selling 2.7 million units.

The event also celebrated Swarnim Vijay Varsh, commemorating 50 years of India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war by taking up a charitable cause. An ex Indian army Mahindra Jeep CJ-3B unrestored project will be auctioned, with the entire proceeds donated to an Army Veterans welfare group.