I am an Airline Cargo professional with immense interest in vintage and classic automobilia- cars and bikes. It has been an abiding passion nurtured from my childhood when I would be fascinated watching jeeps and vehicles of bygone eras. This childhood preoccupation grew into a passion with the encouragement of my uncle who first initiated me into the enchanting world of vintage cars which he owned and which were repaired by him with a mechanic in our old ancestral home in Chennai.

In the 90s my dream to own and restore a vintage car became a reality - my pride of possession was a 1946 Morris 8 Sedan. This was a lucky beginning that now has grown into an exotic collection of cars and bikes.

The Morris 8 Tourer and Austin 7 Tourer were 2 of my earlier car restorations which taught me the nuances of impeccable restoration. Both these cars required extensive body, mechanical and cosmetic work but at the end of it, the transformation was near perfect.

Being an avid reader of automobile magazines especially those pertaining to vintage and classic cars like 'The Automobile' and 'Classic & Sports Cars', which are specialised publications , I realized that it was not possible to possess all the cars one desired. So I figured that the next best thing to do would be to collect scaled down collectibles of these cars. The first few cars from my trips abroad evolved into an enduring pastime of collecting scale models of Vintage and Classic vehicles in scales like 1:18, 1:24, 1:32 and makes like Road Signature, ERTL, Maisto, Auto Art, Bburago , Mira , Mnichamps, National Motor Museum Mint, Danbury Mint, Eligor and Altaya.

To enjoy my passion, to showcase my collection and to share this pastime with interested people, I needed to display them aesthetically in a portion of my house in Chennai, India. With the help of my architect, an area was designed to house my cars and my two wheelers in the midst of well lit, specially built, dust free , mirrored showcases of scale model collectibles displayed category-wise. The bare walls are embellished with quaint posters, tin signs, advertisement frames and specially commissioned ink sketches of my cars.

One corner is dedicated to military memorabilia consisting of World war II advertisements, fact cards, details of theatres of war where the jeep was used extensively for various purposes and a plaque giving details of Hood number and date of delivery of my 1942 Ford GPW and Bantam Trailer. The camouflaged background for this display enhances the macho ruggedness of the subject jeep.

Delicately fabricated ornamental hangers for neon signs, uniquely framed postage stamps depicting vintage vehicles, issued by various countries complement the vintage aura of the display.

Not mere showpieces, my cars have participated in several rallies. I have done the Chennai to Pondicherry organised by the Madras Heritage Motoring Club, many times. All this would not be possible without the commitment of my mechanic who equally shares my passion for these beauties. He maintains the cars in such a reliable working condition that they can be confidently entered for any event without ado.

This hobby has widened my network. I am in constant touch with so many like minded people in India and abroad. I even had a jeep enthusiast who came all the way from UK just to study my jeep. I am also a member of various car clubs and forums. The 170V forum , a US based portal for Mercedes 170 and 220 cars, which has members from all over the world, has acknowledged that mine is one of the better restored 170Vs.

I must say that the quality of my life has been enhanced with this enchanting hobby. Of course this hobby has brought me into the limelight as I have been featured in several auto magazines, newspapers and TV programmes. My weekends are agreeably busy and well spent as I have visitors of all ages who drop by to view my RetroMoto Gallery.

My wife Dr Jayanthy Srivardhan has always been a source of encouragement in my hobby and has helped me set up the display. My daughter Manya is also developing an interest in this unique hobby.