Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

Things to Know About the Turtle Wax Modern Classic Rally

Organised by Autocar India, the country’s first-ever modern-classic car rally took place on October 31st, 2021

Autocar India, one of India’s finest automobile media outlets along with Turtle Wax, a car care company and Shaman Young Timers organised the first-ever modern-classic car rally of India which was held on October 31st, 2021 in the city of Mumbai. The modern-classic car rally comprised cars hailing from the 1970s-2000s era; a period when the modern pieces of automobile engineering met the old-gen classic cars. 

The rally was organised at the Sofitel Hotel present in the posh locality of Bandra-Kurla Complex. After the inauguration, the large car rally started from the hotel and crossed several localities of Mumbai. The rally made their way to the Bandra Reclamation Promenade after touching the Jio World Centre and reached the Worli Dairy. From Worli Dairy, the rally drove through the Worli Sea Face and crossed the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The rally crossed the Promenade a second time and finally ended at the Sofitel Hotel. 

Commenting on India’s first-ever modern-classic car rally, the curator of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally, Perseus Bandrawalla, said to Autocar India, “Modern Classic cars are rapidly gaining popularity with enthusiasts and collectors who like individuality. Unlike with traditional vintage and classic cars, modern classics are very usable as daily cars and still exude a charm that appeals to all generations. For instance, a modern classic car could be carburetted or fuel-injected, with manual or power-assisted steering. The whole premise of modern classic cars is nostalgia. These are cars people want to associate with because they’ve grown up seeing them or driving them and not just because of their classic value... modern classics are more personal,” as quoted by Drivetribe in their report. 

As per an article published by Autocar India, several cars were present at the rally. From the 80s, Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz SEC and SLC coupes were present at the event. Some cars from the 90s included Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170), W124 E-Class sedans, Toyota Supra, Honda NSX, Mazda MX5 and Ferrari 38. Finally, from the 2000s, the MC Straddle from Maserati and Ferrari 599 GTB made it to the event. Last but not the least, in 2021, this was not the only car rally organised by Autocar India because a few months back, the famous media outlet also organised India’s first-ever electric car rally in Mumbai in a collaboration with Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd. (AEML).