Daily Times

Vintage and Classic Car Club of Pakistan’s (VCCCP) 9th Annual Rally was flagged off on Saturday by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor House.

Among the glittering, colourful lineup of vintage and classic cars was a display of two historic cars in the VCCP collection; a 1947 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Hooper which was delivered to the 1st Governor General of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a gift from the Queen of Great Britain and a 1924 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost which was used on 14 August, 1947 to bring Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Louis Mountbatten to the first session of the Quaid’s oath taking ceremony as Governor General of Pakistan.

The other cars participated in the rally include 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible, 1960 MGA, 1954 Austin Heaey 100, 1960 Chevrolet Impala, 1955 Ford Thunderbird , 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback, 1983 Mercedes 280 SLC , 1958 Chevrolet Corvette among others.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail addressed the participants on the occasion. He said that the vintage and classic cars exhibition was organised in order to educate children and youth about cars in the past since they formed an important part of the country’s history. He observed that preservation of vintage and classic car heritage was an important phenomenon and the purpose of this rally was to draw tourists’ attention towards cars having historical importance and significance.

Mohsin Ikram the founder and chairman of the Club said that the club had been holding exhibitions and rallies across Pakistan since the last 15 years. He said that the main objective of the exhibition, apart from pursuing car lovers’ hobby, was to save the heritage on wheels in the form of old historical cars, project a softer image of Pakistan worldwide and build a brotherhood between the four provinces of Pakistan.

He said that this rally which would have more than 35-40 participating cars was the first ever in Pakistan to drive through all four provinces. He thanked Imran Ismail for honoring the club by flagging it off from the historical Governor House. Consul General of USA JoAnne Wagner also attended the Flag Off ceremony and appreciated the efforts of the organisers.

Published in Daily Times, December 2^nd 2018.