Rally of Vintage cars, prize given in 42 titles

KATHMANDU: NOV. 15 – A classic car and bike rally has been organized in Kathmandu.

Old vehicles were made to participate in the rally. As there are very few classic cars in Nepal, no specific criteria has been set for participating in the rally, according to the organizers.

Organized by Classic Car and Bike Nepal, the rally was attended by various brands of vehicles.

According to organizer Subodh Das Shrestha, there are many classic cars in Nepal that are kept at home due to taxes and lack of parts. At present, the number of vintage cars in Nepal is four to five hundred, he said.

It is said that 150 classic cars have reached Nepal, India, USA and Europe. He said that the main challenge now is to save the classic car.

Stating that the vehicles will not cause pollution as they are old, Shrestha said that the government should be generous for classic vehicles. He says that the more you maintain, the better you will run.

Businessman Raj Bahadur Shah also responded that there is a heavy tax barrier to protect classic cars. Stating that the classic car is also a heritage, the government stressed on the need to formulate and implement a separate policy for old vehicles.

The classic car can be used for everything from tourism to wedding ceremonies, Shah said.

Similarly, organizer Prem Karthak Jimi said that even if old cars are damaged by parking at home, if such rallies are organized, there will be prizes and entertainment as well.

He claims that the companies have started focusing on quality along with profit while constructing old vehicles but now the companies are focusing on profit.

If the new cars were good, the old cars would be kept at home. But, that did not happen. Older cars are better built. They’re made better, Prem Karthak said: “Classic cars run on a lot of holidays so there’s not a lot of pollution.”

He said that although it would be very expensive to buy a new car, classic cars would start from Rs 200,000. He said that 60 old or used vehicles have been restored so far.

The organizers have given 42 different prizes to the participants. About 7,000 people have joined the classic car in Nepal.