Since making its debut in the year 2014 the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) has been a much-awaited event for the car collector community. The fanfare and reverence that the rally enjoys is not limited to our city or state but spans the length and breadth of India, it has indeed grown into the country’s premier classic car show over the period of time. Enthusiastic participants look forward to the event since it is a great avenue to view cars that truly exude the spirit of resilience and innovation.
The rally which has become a winter tradition in the city commenced from Bandra’s Lands End hotel on the 13th of December, 2020. Comprising of 40 cars, participants drove in a convoy over the Bandra-Worli Sea Link from Taj Lands End to Worli Dairy and back, and the sight of these ‘rolling museums on wheels’ attracted, as always, a lot of attention from onlookers. This year’s event paid homage to the spirit of resilience, and also felicitated women police officers of Mumbai who are among the people who have kept Mumbai ticking since March.
Maharashtra Home Minister Shri Anil Deshmukh, who was the chief guest at the event, said, “For the last nine to ten months, we have all been fighting back against the pandemic. The Mumbai Police has lost several of its officers and constables, but our brave police officers are not going to give up and the fight will go on as long as it takes. I’m extremely happy to see events such as these recognising their service to society in this unprecedented time.”
Bandra’s very own, Viveck Goenka who is arguably one of the country’s most seasoned car collectors, was present at the event with his Mercedes-Benz ‘Nürburg’. His car which was one of the marque attractions of the event perfectly represents the heritage and innovation of Mercedes-Benz cars. Mr. Goenka shared his experience at the rally with Bandra Buzz, ‘The event serves as a great opportunity to exchange ideas and connect with fellow car collectors. The MBCCR continues to outgrow itself with each passing year and is definitely a highly anticipated car rally.’ The MBCCR was first organised by Autocar India in association with Mercedes-Benz in 2014, rally curator and Autocar India classic car expert Perseus Bandrawalla spoke about the recently concluded rally “This year’s MBCCR event is a special one. This ‘rally for resilience’, emerging from a truly trying year, is best represented by these classic Mercedes-Benz cars that have remained resilient against the test of time.”
With a bevy of cars that included every generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL, S-Class and E-Class in almost everybody style and several Mercedes-Benz convertibles present at the rally this year, the MBCCR event validated its stature of being among the most prestigious one-make events of its kind in the world. Owners take great pride in showcasing their cars during the course of the event and therefore put in equal amounts of effort to ensure its condition is maintained.
With consistent participation from Mercedes-Benz owners, the event has created a parallel environment of fecundity for Mercedes-Benz classic cars. With more than two decades of experience as a leading car restorer, Mumbai based Jehangir Bhoot stated: “The event celebrates the legacy of Mercedes-Benz, and also creates a platform for collectors to enjoy an evening in the company of some of India’s most immaculately maintained models.”
The annual Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally that took place at the Taj Lands End in Bandra was conducted with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols, because of which the participation had to be regulated. Nonetheless, the organisers were thrilled to have celebrated this event for the seventh time and are geared to return next year with a grand exposition of classic cars.
