A YOUNG schoolboy cycling to class in Nagpur spots a weathered yellow Vauxhall abandoned by the roadside, little did Mangesh Kashikar know that this quiet moment of daily fascination would ignite a lifelong passion. Passion often begins quietly, long before it finds expression. For Kashikar, that beginning traces back to his school days. Along his route stood an abandoned yellow Vauxhall, while most saw neglect, young Kashikar was captivated by its character and heritage. “I soon brought my friend Shreesh Deodhar to see it.

 

It was in that moment that a defining thought emerged that one day, I would build a collection of vintage automobiles,” Kashikar said. His admiration intensified during his school years when classic films such as Herbie, Herbie Goes Bananas and Herbie Runs in Monte Carlo were screened at home on a VCR. In 2005, when Kashikar participated in a Polio Eradication awareness drive, travelling in a Volkswagen Beetle of Deodhar. The initiative combined social purpose with vintage motoring and strengthened his emotional bond with the iconic car.

 

The dream materialised in 2007 when Kashikar acquired his own 1957 Volkswagen Beetle. A yellow coloured left-hand drive, air-cooled which is a rare model and the only left-hand-drive Beetle in Nagpur at the time. “When you truly love something, you don’t chase it in haste. You wait, you struggle and you work for it. There were years when owning even one vintage vehicle felt impossible, but I never let go of the dream. Every machine I own today reminds me that patience and passion always find their way,” said Kashikar who is also associated with the Cent Ind Vintage Automobile Association (CIVAA) since years.

 

During his college days, Kashikar owned a Yamaha RX100, a two-stroke icon motorcycle that strengthened his connection with riding. In 1992, riding the Yamaha, he completed an 7,000-km journey, covering Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh. In 2010 when Kashikar received a phone call regarding an available Norton 650 twin-cylinder classic bike, he acted swiftly and travelled to Thiruvananthapuram to acquire the motorcycle.

 

Over time, his motorcycle collection expanded to include two BSA motorcycles (rugged British tourers), a Triumph (performance-driven classic) and a Lambretta LD scooter (Italian elegance). Today among his prized vehicles are a 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, Herbie Edition (cinematic icon); a 1964 Ambassador (Indian heritage saloon) and six Lambrettas (retro scooters). Recent additions include a Sunbeam Talbot (luxury British sedan), 1950 Hillman Minx (post-war family car), 1957 Fiat Elegant (European sophistication), 1960 Fiat Deluxe Lusso (refined classic) and a 1991 Fiat S1 four-gear (transitional-era sedan). Kashikar thanks childhood friend Deodhar, Shahrukh Cassad, Ashish Limbanna, Niku Chavan and Mandar Phadke as well as his Fiat restorer Shrikant Bakare from Pune, who played a major role in his automobile journey. Kashikar will be showing off his yellow Volkswagen Beetle at the Rotary-The Hitavada Vintage Car Rally organised in association with CIVAA at St Ursula School ground on Sunday. “For me, vintage vehicles are not merely machines; they are enduring symbols of struggle, discipline and dreams fulfilled,” Kashikar signed off.