Fleetmasters, Beetles & Spitfires: Kolkata takes the driver’s seat in vintage vehicle revival

Kolkata slipped into a sepia-tinted dreamscape last weekend as the Vintage and Classic Car and Bike Show 2026 rolled onto the lawns of the Alipore Museum. Hosted by the Classic Drivers Club, the showcase dazzled with grilles and engines from regal Rolls-Royces to elegant Fords and cinematic vintage bikes. The event also featured the INTACH Heritage Awards 2026, celebrating custodians of India’s motoring legacy. Open to public, it became a blend of nostalgia, stories, and shutter-happy admiration.

Future keepers
Kolkata’s youngsters are stepping in as new custodians of the past, fusing inherited passion with fresh research and digital savvy. Many grew up watching elders nurture vintage machines. Fourteen-year-old Syed Arbaazuddin Hossain, who restored his father’s Lambretta, embodies this shift: “Not just automobiles, it is important to take interest in our heritage and be proud of it.”

Kolkata as a restoration expert
Most people feel, Kolkata is the ideal place to get their vintage cars restored. Prithvi Nath Tagore credits the craft’s essence to emotion: “The secret is passion, research, and patience.” Veteran restorer Shrivardhan Kanoria, who has revived 77 cars, underscores authenticity: “You can’t claim to be restoring a vintage car by assembling it with new parts.” The legacy is clearly resonating with youngsters. As Darshan Sanghvi says, “There are a lot of young restorers coming up in Kolkata.”

Love at first glint: fab fleet Charms kolkataFrom Gayatri Devi’s fave 1949 Cadillac Series 62 convertible (left), to a Ford Model A from 1928, Kolkata saw history come alive on wheels. Glimpses.

Driven passion
For vintage car owners, restoration is a labour of love. Sourajit Palchoudhuri, custodian of his family’s 1928 Ford Model A says, “Unless you take a personal interest, the soul of the car is lost.” Anil Mohan Kamat, who drove down from Mumbai with his 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible once owned by Sawai Man Singh II, echoed the emotion: “These are like family members to us.”


Greater visibility and social media are drawing more young people towards vintage motoring
– Darshan Sanghvi

At INTACH, we recognise heritage automobiles as cultural and industrial treasures worth preserving
– GM Kapur

Enthusiast Ritabrata Mukherjee says, “When you revive a vintage car, you’re not just reviving a vehicle, but a piece of our collective heritage.”

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