Vintage car rally to commence from Ahmedabad tomorrow
What's the story
To promote heritage tourism in India, as many as 24 vintage cars will cover a distance of nearly 1,200 km between Ahmedabad and Jaipur over five days as part of a rally starting on Monday.
The Grand Heritage Drive 2019, organized by the Federation of Historic Vehicles of India (FHVI) in partnership with UNESCO, will kick off from Ahmedabad, said FHVI president Ravi Prakash.
Participants
Prominent members of royal families, industrialists, architects among the participants
Starting from Ahmedabad, the rally will pass through Dungarpur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur in Rajasthan before culminating at Jaipur.
On the way, the cars will halt at various heritage properties, said Prakash.
The participants would include prominent members from the royal families in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Khimsar, Jaipur and Goa, and also well-known architects, doctors, industrialists, and enthusiasts from across of the country, he said.
Aim
Want to preserve and promote vintage cars, said FHVI President
The event aims to generate interest among collectors of vintage cars and encourage new enthusiasts to join in, said the FHVI President.
"Many Indians own some of the finest vintage cars in the world. The FHVI, set up in 2016, has been working with the government to create a positive environment for the preservation and promotion of vintage cars," Prakash said.
Imports
Central government recently allowed import of pre-1950 vintage cars
The central government recently allowed import of pre-1950 vintage cars.
Prakash said that the FHVI has requested the government to expand the scope and allow import of pre-1970 vintage cars also.
The FHVI is also planning to launch a government-recognized certificate course by mid-2019 on restoring vintage cars, he further said.
The federation requested the government to change the ownership criteria of vintage cars.
Information
Exempt pollution, fitness certificate for vintage cars: FHVI requests government
The FHVI has also requested the government to exempt pollution and fitness certificate norms for vintage cars, and recognize a person having a vintage car for three years as the vehicle's rightful owner even in the absence of legal documents, he added.