In a bid to raise awareness about road safety, Raymond Group organised a drive from BKC to Raymond Ground, Thane, with the support of the Mumbai and Thane traffic police. The drive was open to vintage, classic and supercars, giving owners an opportunity to drive their vehicles that are otherwise parked.
The event started at Bandra Kurla Complex, where owners turned up in their beloved cars and lined up for the drive to Raymond Ground in Thane. The 25-odd km drive went by smoothly without any hitches, courtesy the assistance from Mumbai and Thane traffic police. When we arrived at Raymond Ground, we were welcomed by a picturesque lineup of vintage cars like the Cadillac 1903, Graham Model 97, 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 2 EWB among others. The massive ground was laden with cars of all types and classes. There were supercars like the Ferrari 458s, GTC4Lusso, F430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Huracan, Aston Martin DB11, and plenty of Porsches. SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-AMG G63, Audi Q8 and Hummer H3 also graced the occasion with their towering presence.
To add to the glamour of the event, there were plenty of classic and vintage cars present too. Right from the humongous American cars like the Chevrolet Parkwood to iconic British cars like the Jaguar E-Type to the strong and sophisticated German cars like the Mercedes-Benz W123 and W124 station wagons, and SL180. Volkswagen Beetles, split buses, Fiat 1100s, Millicentos and Mark1, 2 and 3 Ambys were also present in good numbers. Despite such a diverse mix of cars, a few rare and legendary cars like the Alfa Romeo 2600GT Sprint, Pontiac Trans Am and Lotus Elise stood out to the keen eye.
Commenting on this initiative, Gautam Singhania, chairman and MD, Raymond said, "Being an auto enthusiast, there was no one way to mark our 72nd Republic Day than to join hands with VCCCI and Mumbal and Thane Police for the Republic Safety Drive. We are elated that car and motorcycle fanatics were able to make it for the rally to mark this day in such a special way in spite of the restrictions. I am positive that the stunning array of automobiles on display today would have been a treat for many of them who were viewing it from a safe distance.”
After addressing the gathering, hoisting the flag and thanking the police for their support, Singhania led the convoy of cars for a rally around Thane. The event concluded in muscle cars lining up at the drift arena, waiting to get their cars sideways and burn some rubber. Gautham Singhania kicked off the tyre-smoking action himself, with donuts and sideways action in his drift-spec Nissan 240SX and Nissan Silvia.