The Royal Vintage Car Museum Of The Maharaja Udaipur

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 an opportunity to admire some of the finest and well maintained automobiles from the 20th century.

For those who live and breathe all things car related, from vintage car rallies to voraciously devouring features on classic vehicles, then a visit to the Udaipur Car Museum is a must. Owned and maintained by the Royal Family, the museum was opened to the public in 2000 and houses some of the rarest vintage automobiles in the world, which include several Rolls Royce and Mercedes models. The collection even includes the exquisite 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom, which has been preserved in immaculate condition and was used in Octopussy, the 1983 James Bond film which partly took place in India.

The rustic and simply designed museum, which was the former Merwar State Motor Garage, the quaint café situated just next to it, and the aged Shell Petrol Pump from the last century all come together to represent a moment beautifully held in time. This vintage environment surrounds visitors, enticing them to relish every piece of British, German and American engineering excellence. Particularly helpful are the amiable staff who are more than happy to talk to enthusiasts and take them through the history of the cars which the museum houses. The royal garage routinely services each vehicle and ensures that they are in top running order. In fact, at certain times visitors might be lucky enough to see some of these cars being driven around by their elite team.

Other cars within the collection include a Buick (1946), a pair of Cadillacs (1938/39), a Ford A (1930), a M.G. TC (1946), a Morris Minor 100 (Traveller) (1959), and a Vauxhall 12 (Deluxe) (1947).The museum is usually open between 9:00 a.m. to around 9:00 p.m. during the week and entry prices range from about Rs. 150 for children to around Rs. 250 for adults.
Udaipur Car Museum, Garden Hotel, Garden Road, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

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Rohan Moorthy

Rohan Moorthy is a Rock and Heavy Metal freak, who is fanatically obsessed about the bands he listens to, while also keeping an open mind (and ear) for newer groups. Equal to his excitement for music, is his wild drive to explore the Great Outdoors, Ancient History and the realms of Spirituality. His writings for the Culture Trip seek to reflect each of his passions and provide readers with an interesting view of what is to be found in the land of India.