The 51st edition of The
Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally was hosted in the Capital on February
26, 2017 with a large turnout of vintage and classic cars participating in it.
The Statesman, one of India’s oldest media and publication houses, is also the
flag-bearer of the country’s oldest annual car rally whose journey began in
1964.
The event witnessed
participation from owners of classic, handpicked, vintage automobiles that were
flagged off from Statesman House in the city by Naresh Kumar(IAS) chairman
NDMC. The convoy of these heritage four wheelers then moved towards India Gate
before arriving at National Stadium, the final exhibition area.
Every year, the event
witnesses the presence of royal family members and classic car collectors from
all parts of the country competing fiercely to win prestigious titles for their
vintage beauties. To ensure a fair and transparent selection process, a special
pre-judging round for the cars was conducted on February 24 and 25. The jury,
headed by veteran judge RN Seth, also comprised Jatinder Pandit, Rakesh
Jain, Ashwani Kathpalia, Gyan Sharma,
Farhan Kidwai, PramodBhasin and
Appasaheb Alur.
The show ended in the evening
with a special prize distribution ceremony for the rally participants. Nearly
50 trophies were awarded in categories such as Most Elegant Car and Best
Overall Performance. Among the prestigious trophies presented were The
Restoration Trophy, The Statesman Challenge Trophy and the JMAI Trophy. Over 90
vintage vehicles and 25 classic motorcycles were displayed in the exhibition
area.