Not just machines, they are emotions that drive soul: Iqbal

 

 

 

FROM the battlefields of World War II to the roads of Central India, a 1944 Ford Jeep GPW and a 1944 Matchless GL3 motorcycle stand today not merely as restored machines, but as moving legacies of history and passion. Both owned by city’s vintage automobile enthusiast Arif Iqbal, these wartime veterans continue to command respect decades after their military service ended. “The Jeep served as an indispensable tool for soldiers,” says Iqbal, speaking of his 1944 Ford Jeep GPW of the World War II era. “After seeing their potential on rugged Indian roads, they were widely used by tendu leaves contractors for forest exploration,” he explains. Iqbal purchased his Jeep from Chhattisgarh nearly two decades ago in a poor condition. “It was quite shabby when I bought it, but I knew it was worth restoring,” he recalls.

 

The Jeep has since been restored at Berar Lathe Works, Sadar, Nagpur, and finished in a Sand Beige Creme colour. It is powered by a 4-cylinder engine producing around 60 BHP and equipped with a 1600 cc four-wheel-drive gearbox. “It maintains the utilitarian feel that is consistent with how a military Jeep should be,” says Iqbal, adding that it is still equipped with accessories such as an axe, shovel and jerry cans. Alongside the Jeep stands another war-time companion, a 1944 Matchless GL3 motorcycle. Only 80,000 of these bikes were produced during World War II. “A bike is a man’s best friend,” says Iqbal. “When I purchased it, the bike was literally in ruins. It was in fragments, bought in gunny bags along with empty oil canisters,” he recalls. It retained lost glory at the family garage under the guidance of his father Iqbal Ahmed and uncle Aqeel Ahmed.

 

It is powered by a 350 cc single-cylinder petrol engine capable of speeds of 80.5-96.6 kmph, the Matchless was brought back to life through an extremely painstaking effort. “The most challenging part was rewinding the magneto (components of a ignition system),” explains Iqbal. Iqbal will proudly showcase these legendary machines at the Rotary-The Hitavada Vintage Car Rally organised in association with Cent India Vintage Automobile Association (CIVAA) at St Ursula High School ground. “For me, these are not just machines, they are emotions that drive the soul,” Iqbal signs off.