The vintage and classic car community in India is witness to a change of guard with the announcement last week of the FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) appointing a new representative in India. The FIVA is the international governing and certification body for classic vehicles based in Paris and it has just appointed the FHVI as their India AFN (Autorite Nationale de la FIVA) to drive the historic vehicle movement in India. While the VCCFI is just over a year old the VCCCI that preceded it has been governing the vintage and classic vehicles movement for over two decades.
Nitin Dossa, chairman of the VCCFI, reacts strongly to the development terming the FIVA as a “biased body”. He adds, “We are with them for the last 22 years when nobody knew what was FIVA and [yet] we were never given a hearing.” Here’s Nitin Dossa’s full reaction to the developments where he also openly challenges the FHVI president Dr Ravi Prakash to an open debate about his membership.
Members from FIVA have a different perspective, click here to know more.
We have also spoken to Ravi Prakash, president of the FHVI and his comments on growing the vintage and classic vehicles community in India is here.
Here is Nitin Dossa's reaction to the FIVA appointing the FHVI as its AFN for India.
“Mr Patrick Rollet, the then president, and Mr Gautam Singh, the VP, have a conflict of interest, being the advisor to FHVI. FHVI members are from the motor racing group. We have asked FIVA to give a list of members which they failed to do. We also challenged them in writing several times that please hear us and we will prove it to you that 70-80 per cent members have nothing to do with vintage and classic car movement.
“Even now the list of members that has been given, four of them have expired and two of them weren't collectors. Secondly, many of them have informed us that they are not the members. So we can only say that FIVA never gave us the opportunity, they also never gave us the hearing and it is a one-sided story.”
For details regarding FIVA's appointment of FHVI to spearhead vintage automobile movement in India, click here.
“FHVI has no experience of holding or doing any major events. The last event held by them was attended by Mr Patric Rolec who was the President [of FIVA]. A rally needs an observer and a steward and organised to TSD format which were never there. Then how can it be called a rally?
“VCCFI, earlier known as VCCCI has organised one international event in India where Lord Montagu of Beaulieu himself entered the event 20 years back where we had the FIVA observer. It was run on the TSD format from New Delhi to Bombay called as the Rally of the Raj. There are many other events under the VCCCI belt where all organisation details were given.
We know the value of human life is more important than the vintage cars considering the pollution level. We were ordered by Green Tribunal to not drive any 15-year-old car. In Paris where Mr Patrick and Mr Gautam Sen live, the cars are not allowed to be driven. Yet they insisted that in Delhi these cars should be used every day. They should have known what is the right thing. We also wrote to them and haven't received any reply. All letters have not been answered.”
“Even the 21 Gun Salute Rally that run under FIVA and who applied [for a permit] for 2022, have withdrawn. It is unfortunate that its a loss of FIVA and not us.
“There is no need for interference in the Indian legislation. FIVA is nobody to dictate to India, where India has its own rules and regulations set by government of India and the ministry of road transport, who are capable of doing it.”
“They [FHVI] want to take Fiats and Ambassadors into the category. We will find thousands of these cars running and are not in the [appropriate] condition. Also as per Supreme Court orders they need to be scrapped and I can not go to Government and ask that I want them under this category and ask them to run. This is all because of less experience. We have long experience and myself have been into motorsport for a long time. Lastly I would also say that we are challenging Dr Ravi Prakash, the President of FHVI to prove us in an open debate about his membership.”