21 Gun Salute Vintage Car Rally Concludes At Gurugram

The 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally & Concours d’Elegance organized by 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust in association with Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, was inaugurated earlier in the day with flag off at the majestic India Gate, and was followed by a flamboyant display of more than 150 national & international Vintage Cars along with Maharaja Cars & Motorcycles that boast the Indian heritage & passion for motoring.

The 2-day show field was inaugurated by the Chief Guest for inauguration H.E. Shri. V.P. Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of U.T. Chandigarh. In his inaugural speech, V.P. Singh Badnore shed light on the importance of promoting Indian Heritage and Motoring, “21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally & Concours d’Elegance has started a unique motoring initiative which connects the evolution of the rich automotive heritage to the Indian culture, rousing tourism in India. The vision of this initiative has been as ambitious as the event that Mr. Madan Mohan has brought to life and its growth has steered an enormous hike in the national and international tourism”.

As a tribute to the God of beginnings, the 21 Gun Salute Concours began with a Ganesh Vandana, honoring the deity of the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom, followed by a beautiful story-play in the form of Kathakali, a very graceful Bharatanatyam performance expressing spiritual ideas, a ritual form of worship -Theyyam, Tribal Naga Hunters Dance performance, Mohiniyattam - Natya Shastra, magnificient Kathak, Ghoomar of Kashmiri, Punjabi Bhangra, and dance-drama performance of Kuchipudi, were a few soul-stirring dance performances that blended well with the motoring celebrations and promoted Indian culture at a global platform.

International beauties like the 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster from USA, 1939 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Sedan, Model 81C from USA, 1936 Rolls Royce 25/30 from Canada, 1951 Bentley MK VI Freestone& Webb from Germany, 1959 Jaguar XK 150S from Belgium, 1959 Alfa 2000 from Belgium, 1966 Ford Mustang & Maserati 3500 GT SpyderVignale from Belgium were the center of attraction at the show field.

The Concours once again welcomed a diverse selection of cars on the show field from various parts of India that included The 1938 Bentley HH Maharaja of Darbhanga, 1938 Bentley HH Maharaja of Bhopal, 1966 Jaguar E-Type, 1959 Chevrolet Impala, 1946 MG TC, 1936 Mercedes-Benz Type 290 of Yuvraj Dhananjai Singh of Khimsar, 1947 Packard Clipper of Thakore Saheb MandhataSinhji Jadeja of Rajkot, 1947 Packard Deluxe Clipper of Yuvraj Shri Harshvardhan Singh of Dungarpur and many other points of attractions that included Gautam Hari Singhania’s 1909 Renault AX, 1903 Cadillac Model A, 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith, 1937 Pierce-Arrow Eight, 1951 Jaguar XK 120 and 1932 MG J2. 1934 Lagonda M45 Rapide, 1935 Bentley By Antem Drophead, 1921 Fiat Corsa, 1923 Lanchester 40 HP Tourer, 1930 Stutz, Series M, of the Pebble Beach Category shone like gems on the Concours show field.  

While speaking about taking India forward on the global motoring tourism map, Madan Mohan Founder & Managing Trustee, 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust exclaimed “This year, we will launch the most impressive, and the grandest royal expedition which starts from Gurugram - The Incredible India Rally. On 17th Feb, the 4000 km long rally will be flagged off from Gurgaon and will entirely focus on promoting the Cultural Diversity and the Royal Heritage of the most vibrant and royal states of our country – Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat & Rajasthan. The rally will witness international participation from 10 motoring enthusiasts from the USA, U.K, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Canada, and other countries along with their masterpieces. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the Incredible India Rally will be India’s most exclusive and unforgettable heritage motoring rally.”