A passion for healing - not just living creatures, machines
too! Yes, this story is all about a doctor who takes care of
automobiles. Not the latest models that zip-zap our city roads,
but those that belong to a bygone era - The Vintage Period.
Twenty-seven Vintage cars and nine bikes (that hit the roads
between 1919 and 1939), are being maintained by a city doctor.
Dr Ravi Prakash, the car-crazy doctor, takes care of
his prized processions as tenderly as he does his two daughters
Shifali and Rupali. In turn, these kids are equally
passionate about the Vintage cars. Brought-up alongside these
cars, the two young girls have the whole database of the cars,
starting from the make and model to the history, on the tip
of their tongues. That is what surprised the bangalorebest.com
team when they visited the huge garage located in the doctor's
farm-house at Subramanyapuram off Mysore Road. His collection
includes Jaguar (1962 make), which formerly belonged
to the Maharaja of Udaipur; Condulett (of Italian origin)
which belonged to the Maharaja of Kutch; Diamler (1947
make), Rocker 88 of US origin. The list continues with
Ford, Sunbeam, Mercedes Benz and others.
 Dr
Ravi Prakash, an alumni of Mysore's Ramakrishna Vidyashala,
did his MBBS and MBA, and went on to become a consultant for
hospitals in health care management. But his professional engagements
did not stop him from being close to his beloved cars. He recalls,
"It was my love for racing and rallying activities that made
me get deeply involved with cars. Sunbeam was my first car which
I got from Maj. Gen. Mahadeva in 1979. I have been able to collect
as many as fifty cars since then."
Maintaining them all is no easy task. "Its indeed a Herculean
task to maintain them. I could keep only thirty-five per cent
of them in running condition. Half of the remaining are in a
semi-running condition and the rest are just grave pieces. I
have cut the number down to twenty-seven cars. Their maintenance
is a very expensive affair. I have a dedicated team of fourteen
mechanics, including painters."
 But
all the agony of maintenance vanishes as he narrates the memories
associated with his precious cars. "Many Kannada films of
Ambarish, Vishnuvardhan and Ravichandran have featured them.
Kamal Hassan's recent film Hey Ram showcased many of
my cars." His vintage beauties were also used to escort
the tennis legends during the Legends Cup.
The doctor's cars take part in the annual Vintage car rallies.
His wife Sabeena, a proficient driver, never fails to
occupy the driver's seat at these rallies. She was the runner-up
in the recently held Vintage Car Rally 2000 conducted
by the Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club (KVCCC).
Another point of interest is the significance of the number
NINE in Dr Ravi Prakash's life. The number plates of most of
his cars have this digit and it repeats in his phone numbers.
When asked about this, he replied with a smile, "That number
is special to me, right from the Ramakrishna Vidyashala days,
where my roll number was nine!" Well, his vintage collection
is certainly special, not just to him but to all Bangaloreans
with a yen for antiques. After all, old is truly gold!
Click on the pictures below for an enlarged
view
- Charan CS
Photographs by D P Somashekar |
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