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A tale of two vintage car lovers. Pollution or heritage?

Delhi-based businessman Ashok Gupta, till 2015, owned as many as 24 rare cars, which he had diligently collected over 8-9 years.

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Diljeet Titus with his 1938 Buick Series 90, Model 90l, seven-passenger Limousine-2. (Right) Delhi-based businessman Ashok Gupta.
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This is the story of two men. Both are antique car aficionados, owning a fleet of prized possessions, tended to with love and care. But this is where the common factor takes a divergent turn. While one had to part with almost all of his vintage wealth, the other has spearheaded a campaign with the Ministry of Transport to get special heritage status for these timeless classics so that people don't have to part with their sweethearts.

Delhi-based businessman Ashok Gupta, till 2015, owned as many as 24 rare cars, which he had diligently collected over 8-9 years. But after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed vehicles more than 19 years old to be taken off roads, he was left with no choice than to sell them off and now he has only two: one a 1936 Rolls Royce 25/30HP and 1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

"It was heartbreaking for me because I spent a lot of time, effort and money in first buying them and then maintaining them. It also required a lot of patience and research but I had no other option. Though we do not use them for personal purpose, the NGT has not taken these cars out of its purview of the advisory," said Gupta, who also rues that with no favourable decision yet in sight from the NGT, he won't be able to pursue his hobby.

Meanwhile, Diljeet Titus, who is an authority of sorts on vintage cars, with over 45 exquisite gems to boot, resonates Gupta's heartbreaking moment, which also explains the representation given by him to the transport ministry, demanding special status for these beauties. "Our purpose is to conserve these relics of the past. These cars are already protected under the Indian Antiquities Act, 1972, which has also put a ban on the export of these cars. The Motor Vehicles Act, too, has exempted them under certain provisions," he shared.

Titus further averred that these treasures are hardly taken out because of the high cost involved in plying them on roads. "It is only from October to February that they get out of the garage and that too for exhibitory purposes. We have requested the ministry as well as the NGT to exempt them from fitness and pollution checks and also to create a separate class for their registration, while allotting a special series of registration numbers. We are also willing to pay a one-time lifetime tax for these cars, which have immense historical value," said Titus, who is the president of Heritage Motoring Club of India. The club has 278 members from different parts of the country and more than 3,000 cars. "Agreeing to our propositions would give an instant impetus to a lot of collectors who are investing heavily in maintaining these cars. We would not want others to go through Gupta's agony as only a true connoisseur understands the value of what he owns," Titus added.

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