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The Oberoi Concours d'Elegance - Udaipur, 2024

8th March 2024, 16:00 by Brij Gawde

The event is of course the brainchild of none other than Manvendra Singh Barwani, who needs no introduction. He has singlehandedly put India on the concours map, and is credited with constantly innovating year after year to keep the events relevant and viable.

BHPian karlosdeville recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As the collector car circuit in the country grows from strength to strength, and with more and more people wanting to be a part of this increasingly elite circle, an empty slot on the Concours calendar in India was waiting to be filled. With much fanfare and excitement, the quickly familiar Oberoi Concours d'Elegance was announced to be held in February 2024.

www.theoberoiconcours.com/

This fabulous poster was released, by noted artist Tim Layzell. The featured car was none other than the Jodhpur Delahaye, with the stunning backdrop of the Udaivilas. The Holkar Bentley is seen in the background

The event coincided with the Oberoi Hotel group's 90-year celebrations, which would be a perfectly suited partner for an event of this calibre. The venue selected for the inaugural event would be the stunning flagship property, the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur. A former hunting ground for the royal family, the hotel is rated amongst the best in the world, and with a quick stroll around the property and interactions with the most hospitable staff, one can immediately understand why.

The event is of course the brainchild of none other than Manvendra Singh Barwani, who needs no introduction. He has singlehandedly put India on the Concours map and is credited with constantly innovating year after year to keep the events relevant and viable.

This new concours though is thanks to the commitment and participation of Arjun Oberoi, Executive Chairman of EIH Ltd. and a passionate car guy himself. He has competed in events locally and internationally in the past, and this no doubt makes all the difference.

A special mention has to be made for Chief Judge Sandra Button, the Chairperson of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, to support events in India over the last so many years. The suave Simon.Kidston took over the duties of the convenor. The full impressive list of judges is available on the Concours website.

Without further ado, here are the classes and participants. Car details, owner names, and class descriptions and order are as appearing in the Concours book, do forgive oversights if any. A special thanks to Makarand Baokar, Sanket Patel, Nathan Fernandez, and Rohit Johnson for helping out with some fantastic shots.

Class A

Motoring for the Masses: India.

High production of low-cost cars sold in India from 1910 onwards.

A1: 1930 Ford Model A Phaeton, Abdul Hameed Ghani.

The owner tells me it is a transition model still showing some older features, and was acquired from the original owner, Mukundgarh.

A3: 1946 Hindustan 10 Saloon, The Household Department, Jodhpur Palace.

This delightful, rare car has been owned by the palace from new and has been freshly restored.

A4: 1948 Morris 8 Series E Saloon, Hormuz Asphandiar Dadachanji

My favourite, is the Dadachanji family Morris has been with them for over 50 years, travelling the length and breadth of the country. It remains in regular use even now.

To see the album with 50 years' worth of images of the Morris made my day.

A5: 1956 Fiat 1100 103E Saloon, Karl Bhote

Amongst the earliest of the centre-light cars, this one was all original and in careful storage for decades, and she got ready just in time. No effort was spared by the Engineer Brothers on this one, and hopefully, a restoration thread will follow in due course.

A6: 1983 Maruti 800 hatchback, Maruti Udyog Ltd / Cyrus Dhabhar

A most significant car, this Maruti is the very first car whose keys were handed over by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the first owner Harpal Singh in December 1983.

It remained with the family till the owner's demise, after which Maruti thankfully bought it back and restored it very well. Kudos to Maruti for acknowledging and investing in this significant car, and most importantly displaying it.