[dhaval]

Very nice pictorial report there karl.
Hrishikesh nice pics on your part too. Can you get the pics that Mayuresh clicked?? i am sure he must have clicked some of the best pics of the day.
Well, for me its better late than never. i attended the Pune Festival Car Fiesta for the first time this year, and just realized what i was missing for all these years. The rally was awesome fun and i think even well organised too..got to see some of the rare and old classic beauties in immaculate condition in the rally which otherwise is not a everyday sight on the Pune roads.
While most of the participants take part ever year, i was surprised to know that none of the cars from Bhosales stable made it to the rally this year.
By the time i reached the venue (CPR: at about 10.30) it was all jam packed, and had become too crowded for me to go near the cars to have a dekkho and therefore with a very little chance left for me to take the photos., but with whatever i had i managed some photos which i will put up shortly. Till then watch this space.

Dhaval

[V-16]

Had a great time at the Rally.
Left at around 7ish from Bombay with Ronnie (President) and two other car lovers.
Stopped in Lonavala for some work to be done at my house there and had some breakfast of sour Idli, spicy sambhar and rancid coconut chutney.

Arrived in Pune just in time for the flag off and realised that my camera battery is not charged hence could click only a few pics.

Met up with Subhash Karmarkar and for the first time with Prabal. Was a pleasure meeting you Prabal and Subhash. Please call when in Mumbai next.

The rally was short and sweet. I hoped onto a W115 1973-73 Mercedes Benz 220 owned by Subhash Sanas and driven by Jay Phatak.
Very well maintained car but could do with some mechanical work.
There on we proceeded to Dorabjees for a hearty lunch. The dessert (disappointing) destination was George's. No good. Then for a cup of good ol "Choi" at Diamond cafe.
We had this with the softest Bun Maska (yes after all that food) and proceeded for car hunting around Pune lead by Karl and accompanied by Amol and Prabal.
Ten around 4.30ish we left for Bombay

Took some pics which i reproduce below.

My favourites, a 230Sl....






...And a 220S Ponton with delicious interiors in original leather and grainy wood.




The Ivory coloured Bakelite, two spoke steering wheel





The still working Becker Le Mans radio which came as an extra paid option in the 220S




The long rod is a coat hanger. Thats Singh junior admiring the glossy black paint through his Morris.




A LHD 190D Ponton with an original Webasto rag top sun roof




Immaculate interior of the same car




An American spec R107 560SL



..As seen through a W115 220




Team-Bhp's representative entry. Amol's immaculate 180D Ponton. Perhaps one of the oldest Pontons in the country if not THE oldest Right Amol?




The convertible Impala




Specially for Stanher. A 63 Herald Mk-1 with the top removed.




For Iraghava, eat your heart out on this pristine Charger. This is sold to someone in Delhi im told.





The elusive and almost extinct original side indicator on Prakash Kunthe's Millicento.




....contd....

[Cyrus43]

Oye Gogs, what about the official rudy Team bhp entry to the rally!!

[dhaval]

Some of the Yohan Poonawalla's collection:






Bentley:
With the Mansory Kit


Orange interiors of the Bentley


Rolls Royce:



Subhash Sanas's Collection:

One of my favorites:


Hummer H3:



Got some more pics, will post later.

[V-16]

....contd....

Continuing on my pictorial report.
It was hardly a rally. More of a drive and a short one too.

Some more cars and my hand at trying to get shots from different angles.

The freshly imported immaculate E-type V-12.Being an automatic, maybe the reason why there were jumper cables in the rear, probably as a precautionary measure. Note the after market A/c and deck.





The flamboyant American classic line up;
Buick, Buick, Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet.




The two sibling Buicks




The older of the two, out from the "Godfather" Era




The younger of the two siblings, a mint 49 Super with an spotless gleaming interior and dash to match





The Elegant Rolls Royces






Time to reflect






Shifting focus





Star struck.



Thats all folks. Hope you enjoyed the pics.

[V-16]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

Oye Gogs, what about the official rudy Team bhp entry to the rally!!

Sorry Rudy, camera battery went kaput. Wish i could charge it with the spare battery you were carrying in your rear seat.

[JayD]

Gogi! no pix of the 115???

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by V-16

Specially for Stanher. A 63 Herald Mk-1 with the top removed.

Arre bahut shukriya gogi anna!

Uh, this pic. curiously seems exactly the same as the one karl had posted earlier though.....!

[V-16]

Originally Posted by JayD

Gogi! no pix of the 115???

Just glimpses in some of my pic as seen below JayD. You can see a part of it parked besides the 230SL.
I thought id take pics when the drive was over,in the meantime, my battery konked off.
You can see it partly again in Dhaval's second pic, on the right of the rear pic of the E type

Oye Gogs, what about the official rudy Team bhp entry to the rally!!

@Shyam-see a part of the 115 at the left corner of the windscreen

@Rudy- See, I got a pic of your car. Another Team-Bhp entry. The other arrow points to why Cyrus is called Rudy.

Originally Posted by Stanher

Arre bahut shukriya gogi anna!

Uh, this pic. curiously seems exactly the same as the one karl had posted earlier though.....!

Thanks Sherlock but not the same pic!! In Karl's pics the Herald is flanked by two women. Where are they in this pic?... Karl was suspiciously missing from then on...Karl the Stalker!!

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by V-16

Had a great time at the Rally. Met up with Subhash Karmarkar and for the first time with Prabal. There on we proceeded to Dorabjees for a hearty lunch. The dessert (disappointing) destination was George's. No good. Then for a cup of good ol "Choi" at Diamond cafe. We had this with the softest Bun Maska (yes after all that food) and proceeded for car hunting around Pune lead by Karl and accompanied by Amol and Prabal. Ten around 4.30ish we left for Bombay

This is the best rally I've attended in a long long time, Gogi, and it really was a pleasure meeting up with you, Karl, Amol, Ronnie, Cyrus, and the two Knowledgeable non-tbhp gentlemen. Amol got off near Maal-dhakka since his Viva was parked at Main St. and coming back for it from Deccan would have been out of the way. Ronnie too wasn't with us till Deccan/Law College Rd as he had to rendevouz with a friend near Baker's Hill. Cyrus got off at COEP. Wish you guys were around while an elusive Cortina was being hunted (not to mention a Fintail that entailed a walk upto FTII to no avail!).

Thanks for the lunch pix, Ronnie. By the way, Karl and Gogi, why were you guys going round and round after Cafe Diamond? (Amol, is it the reason you suspected?). A nice turn-out of cars at the rally, great company during and thereafter and some serious eating done, life is good. Thanks gentlemen!

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Prabal

Thanks for the lunch pix, Ronnie. By the way, Karl and Gogi, why were you guys going round and round after Cafe Diamond? (Amol, is it the reason you suspected?)

I suppose Amol suspected I was chasing some cars. Alas it was not so, I simply lost my bearings with the new one way scenario, and was quite out of it after such a good lunch.

[DKG]

Wow what a lovely collection of cars. Amol your Ponton is "delicious". When you are restoring a car as deteriorated as the one I have its an inspiration to see an immaculate one like yours!!

There were so many cars in such fine condition, it must have been a delight to be there. I think I should start travelling to visit the events in Bombay, Poona and Delhi now!

Nice to see pictures of Amol, Gogi and President. Where is Karlos?

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I suppose Amol suspected I was chasing some cars. Alas it was not so, I simply lost my bearings with the new one way scenario, and was quite out of it after such a good lunch.

Nope, that's not what Amol suspected, at all. Maybe, that part about chasing cars connects with what he had in mind! And knowing you, Karl, your bearings are very well encased, so you ain't gonna lose 'em that easily, new one way street or a gastronomic adventure notwithstanding! Yeah, so chasing cars and Amol's plot are beginning to make sense together now.

Originally Posted by DKG

I think I should start travelling to visit the events in Bombay, Poona and Delhi now!

Yup, that's the idea DKG. All you folks, plan on Delhi sometime (the season is starting, the first one is on this 20th as S.B.Jatti has informed in the relevant thread) and gimme a shout.

[V-16]

Great to have met up with you Prabal.
The more knowledgeable of the two non T-bhpians, is a store house of knowledge and a very very old friend. I have known him since i was a child and he was a teenager interested in old cars. Looking at him I can see where Karl is going to go. He also has an envious collection of vintage and classics, some of which are the oly ones in the country. I think he has close to 60 cars which he himself restores, i his own workshop. No outside car is taken unless you are a very very good friend.

@Deepak-, Amol's car was near junk when he bought it. You should have seen it then. I wish he had kept pics of before and after.

Great food, great company and great cars. What more can one ask for in life?

[President]

Originally Posted by Prabal

This is the best rally I've attended in a long long time, Gogi, and it really was a pleasure meeting up with you, Karl, Amol, Ronnie, Cyrus, and the two Knowledgeable non-tbhp gentlemen.

). A nice turn-out of cars at the rally, great company during and thereafter and some serious eating done, life is good. Thanks gentlemen!

At this point, I must also admit here that it was one of the BEST car rallies, I ever attended. Firstly the Pune weather was conducive and then the wonderful and picturesque route in a lovely car (Amole's Mercedes Ponton 180D), and so many like minded friends, only car talk and nothing else, Professionally restored and unrestored Vintage, Classic and Recent Classics to ogle at and last but not the least a three course meal at "Dorabjee's" followed by traditional custard at "George" and grand finale at "Diamond Queen" for yummy Bun maska and Choi. Unfortunately, I had to split as I was on a time schedule to meet a friend with whom I drove down to Mumbai.

However, some of the crazy collectors had a chance to zip around Pune Car hopping with Karl. Oops! sorry! I meant Car Shopping!

Hope the future rallies are as interesting and enjoyable for all, again.