Srinivas Krishnan Opinion - heritage cars & bikes

Despite the huge interest in heritage cars & bikes, OEMs in India are missing out by not engaging with vintage and classic enthusiasts in creative ways.

Easy question: How many Indian automotive industry professionals do you meet at vintage and classic car events? Think, think hard. 

Not many, but there are some – right? I had asked this question in a column ten years ago, and the numbers were pretty dismal. Since then, things have changed for the better. Some brands have realised the value of celebrating their heritage models by holding rallies or rides officially, so the executives make their presence felt there – it is their party, after all. Mercedes-Benz and Royal Enfield have set benchmarks, and many, including MG Motors, Jawa Yezdi, and Mahindra, have also upped their game (Disclosure: I am associated with the latter two brands professionally). As for many of the rest, it is the fans who are keeping the flame burning rather than the brands themselves.

And the fire burns. While talking and swapping notes with vintage and classic enthusiasts, you can’t help but notice how passionate and knowledgeable they are about the brands and products, even more than the OEM professionals themselves. Enthusiasts also celebrate the brands in their way and don’t expect any support from OEMs – join our party if you wish, but we are having a party anyway. From long drives across the country to simple Instagram posts, club meets on weekends to WhatsApp groups, brands are living an extended life in the minds of people, long after the sell-by dates of their products. So what do most OEMs in India think: should this extended life be celebrated or shunned? 

I think it’s the latter. Because most brand managers must be asking themselves what’s the point of spending money and celebrating a glorious past if it is not going to contribute to increased vehicle sales in the present. Why get people excited about a path-breaking model of the 1960s and assume that it will help sell their existing humdrum sedan sixty years later? 

Sure, I can understand that. Brands are beyond brand manager tenures – they are built over time and monthly sales can’t be a yardstick to measure the strength of relationships between fans and brands. To know where a brand is going, you need to know where it came from.
 
One cool example of that: I went to have a close look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at the showroom, and the salesman’s opening remarks were about the 1970s Hyundai Pony! The Korean major does not have as long a legacy as other brands, but still, they could connect the path-breaking Giugiaro-designed hatchback with their futuristic, 21st-century mass-production electric car. My teenage son quickly whipped out his phone to see what the Pony looked like and connected the two cars separated by decades. Well done on the sales training, Hyundai!
 
Meanwhile, at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance that was held in early January in Vadodara, Mahindra, Jawa Yezdi and MG Motors made a visible impact on the attending audience. Visitors and even participants at the event were in a frame of mind to see beautiful machines of the brands’ past and the setting provided by the Concours d’Elegance was also spectacular. Industry executives hobnobbed with classic car and bike owners and came closer to recognising the flame that burns within enthusiasts. The conversations were eye-opening for the executives – so much love and passion for the brand could be felt in this place. This can only be good for the brand, right? Can’t this momentum be taken forward?

Even brands that are defunct in India, like Fiat (can’t believe it, right?), had their section, with an ensemble of beautiful, exquisitely maintained machines throbbing with vitality. Tomorrow, when Fiat comes back to India (come on, Stellantis!) guess who are the first people who will line up to welcome it? Volkswagen Classic clubs are buzzing with action and it was only with their support that I could get the official ‘birth certificate’ of my Beetle from Volkswagen Germany.

It is time OEMs in India recognise this passion among the vintage and classic vehicle community and start connecting with them regularly. Have some engaging talks at your showrooms, have a contest for the best Instagram posts, have quizzes, set up a strong merchandise section, help with parts, components, technical drawings or assistance, build a database of vehicles and owners, curate events, encourage meet-ups, have an annual brand extravaganza, support those who want to take their old-timers on long trips… the possibilities are many. Oh, also do attend and participate in vintage and classic car and bike meets and events – you’ll enjoy it.