1933 Minerva gets top honours at Cartier Concours D’Elegance

The fourth Cartier ‘Travel with Style’ Concours D’Elegance has come to a close with the Minerva of Diljeet Titus bagging the award for the best car in the show. As has come to be expected of the event, the 2015 edition too saw an array of, unquestionably, some of the finest vintage and classic cars in India, all at one venue.

Each of the cars showcased at the event are hand-picked by the curator, Indian automotive historian Manvendra Singh of Bharwani. The cars are judged based on parameters such as originality and current condition. The judges were led by HRH Prince Michael of Kent and include, among others, Sandra Button (chairman of Pebble Beach Concours), Jean Todt (president of FIA) (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile), Riccardo Patrese (F1 racing driver) Sir Michael Kadoorie and Nigel Matthews (classic car collectors), David McKirdy (poet and classic car restorer), Yasmin le Bon (supermodel) and Simon Le Bon (musician).

Of all the exquisite cars at the Concours D’Elegance 2015, the 1933 Minerva 8 Al 40HP was adjudged as the standout car of the event. Minerva was a renowned Belgian luxury automobile manufacturer, before becoming obsolete in 1956. The AL 40HP is the most luxurious Minerva, and one of the most sought-after vintage cars in the world. The ‘8’ in the name stands for eight cylinders in the AL 40HP’s 6625cc engine. This Minerva belonged to the maharaja of Mahmudabad, who moved to Pakistan after the partition. The car, after changing hands a few times, was restored by Delhi-based collector Diljeet Titus.

Comments

Honda CB Unicorn 160 vs Suzuki Gixxer comparison

There is no replacement for displacement, as goes the old American saying, with which the rest of the world often nods in agreement. Increase in the number of cubic centimeters of fuel that our engines burn, seems only to be a pleasant idea to almost every petrolhead. More power, more torque and a healthier sounding grunt from the exhaust are the common expectations from larger engines. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has walked this same path, to add 10 extra cubic centimeters of capacity to the now proven CB Unicorn engine, to make the Honda CB Unicorn 160. FROLIC FASHION Although some of the features of the older CB Unicorn have been bettered, we’ve gone ahead and pitched it right in at the deep end, to face off against the very best in the segment to find out the exact degree to which this motorcycle has improved. So, in steps the Suzuki Gixxer, a Japanese-made premium commuter that’s fast rising to the top of its segment, with enough promise to overshadow all o...

2018 Lamborghini Urus India review, test drive

On first introduction, it’s a recipe for intimidation. It’s claimed to be the fastest SUV in the world (0-100kph in 3.6sec and a top speed of 305kph puts it nearly in supercar territory), and it’s made by Lamborghini – creator of some of the most savage vehicles on the market. Things – as with any Lamborghini, for that matter – would be a lot less daunting if we were driving on a smooth European country road, a wide motorway, or even a race track. But today we’re driving the Urus on a narrow ghat road, as well as through some heavy Pune traffic. Perhaps the intention was to demonstrate that this is the first Lamborghini ever to go on sale in India that truly works in our conditions – but still, I doubt they accounted for rush hour. It’s requisitely mad to look at, employing as many ‘sporty’ design tropes to an SUV body style as possible – the only thing missing is a massive wing on the back; and somehow, it works. It’s ...

Land Rover Discovery Sport review

Two things. To start with, it’s Land Rover’s replacement for the popular and capable Freelander. It’s also the first of the models from Land Rover’s new Discovery sub-brand, one that will focus on utility in the same vein as the Range Rover line is about luxury. The Discovery Sport was shown as a concept last year and the production version’s styling doesn’t stray too far from the prototype. It’s smart, well proportioned and interesting but doesn’t have the show value of something like an Evoque. Still, there’s a certain honesty to the chunky shape which, if you think about it, more than links the Sport to the Freelander. The Sport is 91mm longer than its predecessor and also sits on a wheelbase that’s grown by 80mm. These increments, and the incorporation of a compact multi-link rear suspension, have allowed Land Rover to fit in a third row of seats, giving the Sport a big advantage over its five-seat competitors – the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. But Land Rover is being cau...

Automobilestillnow

Search This Blog