From Pebble Beach to Udaipur India

Posted on Sep 12, 2021 in Antique | Comments Off on From Pebble Beach to Udaipur India

Recently I was lucky enough to receive an email from a fellow auto journalist named Claus Muller. Claus is a collector, racer and Managing Director of the Munich Café Racers.

He wanted to inform me of an article that he had written about a recent trip to India. What he didn’t mention was that the trip was for him to be a guest of his Highness Arvind Singh Mewar, Maharana of Udaipur, India. The trip, which started as a discussion at the Pebble Beach Concourse was to include a tour of the Marahana’s home, the City Palace of Udaipur during the Holika Dahan festival and a tour of a Royal Vintage and Classic Car Collection.

This was not your average article about an average adventure. Being the guest of the Maharana was very special, and being there during the time of the Holi festival was even better. Holika Dahan is the Indian festival of colors called Holi. It is a time of sacred fires, royal processions, band and parades. It is also the time when festival participants cover everyone in brightly colored powder to celebrate the arrival of spring. In short, it is the perfect time to visit India.

The adventure includes a tour of some amazing buildings and vehicles, including Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Packard, Cadillac, Daimler, and a host of great cars. One especially beautiful example is a Rolls Royce (possibly a Phantom II) with a polished aluminum body from the Royal Car Collection of Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar. I recommend clicking the links for the full article…it is an amazing story of an even more amazing adventure.

Claus Muller also recently visited Iran to witness a vintage car rally that takes place from Tehran to the Caspian Sea. The link below is to the full article, and I seriously recommend checking it out. Trips to the Middle East are rare these days, and getting a real glimpse into modern day Iran during the June election is truly incredible. His visit to the Historical Car Museum of Iran includes vehicles from the last Shah of Iran. The list of vehicles includes some astounding examples from Rolls Royce, Pierce Arrow, Bizzarrini, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes and a very special Chrysler Ghia. It is a “must read” and convinces me to add Iran to my list of places I need to visit.

My understanding is that more trips are planned, including Costa Rica, South Africa, Moscow and Australia. He has promised to keep me updated. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Muller for allowing me to write about his adventure, and for sending me the links and photos. As I hear more from him, I will keep updating you on his adventures.

Iran Trip – Classic Motorist