Udaipur, the charming royal city of lakes, carries the rich legacy of the Mewar dynasty with pride. A brilliant testimony to the grand and luxurious lifestyle of the Mewar royals is Udaipur’s Vintage Car Museum. Nestled along the famous Lake Palace road and located a few meters away from the main entrance of the renowned abode of the Royal Family, the Udaipur Palace Vintage Car Museum offers auto enthusiasts and non-royals an interesting insight into some of the finest and well-maintained automobiles from the 20th century used by the royal family.
For those who are a big fan of all things automotive, and especially vintage cars, a visit to the Udaipur Car Museum is a must. Formerly the Mewar State Motor Garage, this museum site is home to about 20 of the rarest vintage automobiles in the world, including four classic Rolls-Royce, a pair of 1939 Cadillacs, one Ford-A Convertible, one 1936 Vauxhall-12, one MG-TC convertible, besides rare models of Mercedes. Many of these luxury car models, including the Rolls Royce and Mercedes models, had been customised according to the requirements of the Mewar royal family members.
The exquisite 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom has been preserved in immaculate condition. It was used in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy which was partly shot in India. There is also the aged Shell Petrol Pump from the last century to represent a moment beautifully held in time. You will be amazed to find that the vehicles dating back to the early 1900s are still preserved wonderfully in the museum which is actually a part of the royal garage of the Mewar family. Many of the royal palaces have now been turned into 5-star hotels in Udaipur where you can enjoy a memorable stay and experience a slice of royal lifestyle.
The Udaipur Car Museum is owned and maintained by Rana Shri Arvind Singh Ji Mewar of the Royal Family. It was inaugurated on 15th February 2000 by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, founder of the National Motor Museum in England. The museum’s vintage ambience captivates visitors and onlookers, enticing them to relish every piece of British, German and American engineering excellence in an era gone by.
The helpful and friendly staff are more than happy to talk to automobile and history enthusiasts, taking them through the history of the cars which the museum houses. The royal garage routinely services each vehicle to ensure that they are in perfect working condition even though most of them are more than seventy years old. In fact, on a lucky day, you may spot a member of the royal family driving one of these vintage cars around.
The Vintage Car Museum is open between 9 am and 9 pm on all days of the week and entry prices range from about Rs. 150 for children to around Rs. 250 for adults. It is located on the Gulab Bagh Road of Udaipur in Rajasthan. The museum is at about 10 minutes’ walking distance from another landmark of Udaipur that is the Lake Palace. There are exquisite Udaipur hotels near lake for accommodation where you can complete your Udaipur royal experience.
