Dastan Tourism 4.27

About Dastan -Autoworld

Cars may come and go but their collectors never go.”Collectors” stay in their collection forever. And one such collector who missed in our midst today is none other than the creator of Auto World, a vintage car-and-buggy collection that is so exclusive that it’s one of its kind in the world. Pranlal Bhogilal. He stands out as the most zealous collectors of relics on wheels. The collection of antique vehicles, cars, motorcycles, utility vehicles, buggies etc was collected over the last century has its own story of collection!
Auto World, spread over an expanse of a two thousand acre farmhouse at Kathwada/ Ahmedabad, is created to keep you awed throughout your day-long visit. You can ogle at the world’s best pieces of art in vintage vehicles, ride in them and experience the days of the yore and glow, antique vehicles, when the princely, the privileged and powers-that-be used to be ferried in them. It showcases that period when automobile was a status symbol that portrayed wealth, power and style. Possessing the mighty ceremonial limousines, the romantic convertibles , sports cars, cars specially coach built like Railway Saloons, Horse drawn carriages, boat tailed wooded speedsters, shooting brakes- secures its place in the world for the grand collection.
Best and unique about Auto World, one can hire the car for special purpose or special feel!! WOW..What else to expect?

The Joy of Indulgence – the food, the ride in, get framed in

With interest in cars, engineering and art one gets food for the brain- imagines the past and compares with present- a whole new kind of experience! While the rest of your family who’re not much into cars also have a lot to indulge in – by way of amusement or titillating their palate. One can satiate the hunger with the traditional food at Vintage Village while the younger members who cannot understand much about the collection, collect memories at the Fun World. The Phaetons, family/dog carts, Valedus(embroidered bride cart pulled by a single bullock), a gid, tonga, goat cart, wagonette, cabriolet , a landualette with lovely lamps and handsome Victoria are worth seeing and capturing in the memories- taking a lot of space in memory slot of brain !!

Building the Collection

Bhogilal’s grandmother, Bai Aditya Bai, was a car lover and matriarch of one of the richest zamindar families of pre-independence India. She maintained a minimum fleet of 50 to 60 cars. They never sold their cars, instead kept them in perfect condition,” well maintained always”. Addition to this collection with exquisite selection, made the collection!
Strange but true, Bhogilal was not a car freak, but an art freak. Vintage cars, however, form only a small part of the classics he has collected around him.
" His fleet, therefore, contains classics like the Chrysler Airflow, a milestone car, aerodynamically designed in art deco style, and a Lincoln Continental designed by Pierre Cardin. He doesn't care for modern cars, but the elegant buggies of the 1930s, with their long-hooded, low-slung sporty lines really make his automotive juices flow. "Styling was at its zenith and the cars built then were an indulgence", says the 50-year-old Bhogilal.
To keep the fleet humming, he employs around 20 chauffeurs and mechanics, supervised by a full-time automobile engineer.Ah..ha!!