A royal rendezvous of cars at The Oberoi Udaivilas

Cadillac, Rolls Royce, Ford, Mercedes, and many more marquee automobile signatures emanated a patina of glamour, memory, craftsmanship and horsepower on the hilly lawns around The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, between February 20 and February 22. Here were storied wonder cars that had weathered road time in another era, but were now graceful dowagers who had been to the salon for a lift, tuck, paint job and ‘inner work’. The vintage cars had been transported to The Oberoi Udaivilas from all around different parts of India—Kashmir, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Mayurbhanj—and Qatar.

Glamour and history converged on this elegant concours weekend, as host Arjun Oberoi of the Oberoi Group family, showed up for the flag off ceremony. He sportingly hopped into a gorgeous, chariot-like carriage of a blue Rolls Royce, driven by owner Shrivardhan Kanoria of Kolkata. Curated by Manvendra Singh Barwani, the event was graced by renowned car collectors, including the Kanorias of Kolkata, Maharaja Himanshu Singh of Gondol, ‘Bapji’ Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, Pratapsinh Gaekwad, legendary Pranlal Bhogilal, and Yohan and Michelle Poonawalla.

Talking to the car owners, one came upon many a moving restoration tale. Rajesh Somasundaram, a collector from Chennai, who is the owner of a spectacularly restored Cadillac dating back to 1931, shared how he had found this beauty in a dilapidated state in a garage selling old cars in New Jersey. He not only brought it home and nurtured every part of it— mechanical and aesthetic—he even maintained a back seat named the Mother-in-Law seat!

The world of motorsports, car rallies, and concours is filled with fascinating players—from the world’s rich and famous, to sports commentators. We got a chance to learn much during the panel discussions, which saw Chief Judge Miss Sandra Button, Chairperson of the Pebbles Beach, speaking with experts like veteran Formula One racer Jackie Stewart, Sir Michael Kadoorie, Giacomo Agostini, Jean Todt, and Derek Bell, among other renowned historians, collectors, and specialists. Questions were asked about restored vintage cars often losing character with modern laminate and paint treatments and parts being replaced. One collector talked about how a particular car part in his collection had a history going back to Winston Churchill! The panellists reminded us that actor James Garner, “a true racing enthusiast himself”, trained with Formula One racers Graham Hill and Jim Clark, when he played a racer in the 1966 film Grand Prix.

Back to the concours

The first morning, the cars were taken for a spin around the serene Fateh Sagar Lake, so one could go back in time and experience what it felt like being a passenger in an old Mercedes, or a Rolls Royce phantom, or a handsome Cadillac, or a beautifully restored 1923 Rolls Royce. “This Rolls Royce was bought by my grandfather from the royals of Uttarpara for a princely sum of Rs 500!” shared Shrivardhan Kanoria, the owner of the car, who had nine of his cars in the concours. “He restored it, and in 2012, I have restored it. So being three generations old, it is not merely a car to us. It is like a family member.” He added, “The blue Rolls Royce had seen the romance of his parents, the birth of his sister in the 70s, and his birth in the 80s. That’s a lot of stories built around both a family and a Rolls Royce’s journey!”

Day two saw judges, guests, connoisseurs, and car afficionados tour around the concours. While the jury members check the state of headlights, tail lights, the sound of the engine, and the look and feel of the vintage cars, the community of car afficionados focused on legacy, craftsmanship and engineering.

On the same occasion, Rolex launched its new boutique at The Oberoi Udaivilas property. The event also saw a riveting historic look at Indian fashion and the post-colonial reclaiming of ‘the drape’ by Tarun Tahiliani. The veteran couturier showed the audience the sources of his inspiration— from Mughal historical texts to OTT film, from the Maha Kumbh Mela to the frugal but proud dhoti drape of Mahatma Gandhi. What came through was that Tahiliani’s brand married Western structure and lightness, with India’s love for the ornate and the flowing. This was followed by models walking around the ballroom in Tahiliani’s signature silhouettes. The collection, titled OTT, featured lighter, more pret-oriented ensembles. The gala dinner featured live stations and possibly 101 desserts! The bar overlooked the Lake Pichola, and temperatures were just right for a celebration under the starry night sky. It was a night to mingle with guests from all over the world.

The event brought together a global community of car and motorsport enthusiasts, along with lovers of luxury, in the scenic and enchanting setting of Udaipur. As concours events go, it offered a fitting tribute to the automobile and motorcycle—not merely as inventions of function, but as enduring celebrations of freedom, grace, resilience, romance, and craftsmanship.


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