Driving down the bustling Avinashi Road in Coimbatore, a bright orange Volkswagen Beetle mounted high up on a pedestal grabbed my attention. Turns out it was the entrance to the Gedee Car Museum. I stopped to have a peek at the wide range of vintage cars on display at the sprawling 20,000 sq ft museum. Automobile history unfolded before me as I strolled down the curving hallway. For a novice unfamiliar with the history of automobiles like me, it was an enlightening experience to see posters and pictures depicting the evolution of the wheel, the automobile industry, and the descriptions of each of the vehicles on display.
Opened in 2015, the museum is a tribute to the late GD Naidu, an eminent industrialist, ardent automobile fan, educationist and philanthropist, by his son GD Gopal, the managing trustee of the museum. Gopal continued his father’s hobby by not just supplementing the collection, but by also maintaining most of the cars in motorable condition.
If you have a penchant for automobiles and their compelling history, this car museum is a not-to-be-missed destination. For automobile buffs, it can be overwhelming to gaze at the 60-odd cars on display highlighting the technological transformations in the automobile industry – from the engine and shaft, to body construction, seating and tyres – with due credit to the inventors. Eight special cars were donated by vintage car enthusiasts and auto aficionados who wanted to share their prized possessions with the general public. What makes this museum interesting is the mind-boggling wealth of information provided about cars, designers, engineers and manufacturers.
Walking around the museum, I learnt everything about automobiles and carriages, including facts such as how the Sumerians invented the wheel in 3200 BCE; how the Egyptians introduced spoked wheels in 2500 BCE.; how pharaoh Tutankhamun of Egypt rode at great speed over desert dunes on a chariot.
The collection is categorised into a few sections. In the Unique Car section, I found the Benz Patent Motorwagen, regarded as the world’s first three-wheeled automobile. It had an internal combustion, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine powered by gasoline and was the first-ever automobile patented by Germany’s Karl Benz. There is also the Ford T (first mass produced car in the early 1900s) and the Morris Mini, considered a forerunner of modern cars, thanks to the front-wheel drive layout. The Volkswagen Beetle occupies pride of place. Touted to be ‘a car at the price of a motorcycle,’ it cost Rs 850 in those days. Another impressive car on display is the Citroen 2CV. It was designed to carry two French farmers and a basket full of eggs through a ploughed field.
A replica of Benz Patent Motorwagen
The cars are further classified according to their country of origin such as British, German, Japanese, French, Spanish and American. Other spectacular vehicles on display include the Rolls-Royce 20, and American classics like the Dodge Victory Six (first all-steel body), and the luxurious Cadillac limousine, which is the official car of the US President. Also on display is the British Austin 7, nicknamed Baby Austin, one of the most popular budget cars of its time.
Ford's car for the masses
Another highlight of the museum is the 1921 Rudge Multi 500cc motorcycle that was owned by Naidu. There are also old black-and-white photos of Naidu taking classes, holding workshops and interacting with automobile tycoons.
Each car is linked to world history and has a tale to tell. For instance, the tiny Bubble Cars of the 1950s and 1960s, designed as easy-to-drive and cheap transport, became popular in post-war Europe when fuel prices shot up due to the 1956 Suez Crisis. This car can seat only the driver and one passenger. There are no doors on the side and the front of the car doubles as the exit.
Bubble Car and Micro Car
I found the nexus between cars and Hollywood equally fascinating. For instance, a Volkswagen Beetle called the Love Bug has been featured in at least six movies.
The Love Bug
We also had a peek at the Toyota Sera, a two-door, four-seater coupe, notable for its butterfly doors that tilt up and forward when opened. The Sera too has featured extensively in television serials and movies, most notably in the Tamil film Padayappa, starring Rajinikanth; it is reportedly one of the actor’s favourite models.
Toyota Sera, which featured in Rajinikanth’s Padayappa
The museum also has a royal connection in the Hispano Suiza H6B, the only one in the country that once belonged to the Maharaja of Mysore. A huge poster featuring Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar sheds light on imported cars owned by Indian royalty. An interesting snippet is about the phrase ‘Doing a Mysore’. The story goes that Rolls Royce was so accustomed to the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV, ordering cars in batches of seven that it coined the phrase ‘Doing a Mysore’ to indicate delivery of a bulk order.
As I left the museum, I mulled over how the evolution of automobiles is represented in this wonderful collection. I’m sure visiting this display will inspire and ignite young minds to think differently and challenge themselves to innovate.
For more details, visit http://gedeecarmuseum.com.
All pics by Susheela Nair.
Susheela Nair is an independent food, travel and lifestyle writer and photographer contributing articles, content and images to several national publications besides organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a wide spectrum which also includes travel portals and guide books, brochures and coffee table books.