What you can see in Payana Car Museum

About 7 km before reaching Mysuru’s Outer Ring Road junction on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, a structure resembling the silhouette of a giant tyre attracts the attention of passing-by motorists. This landmark spread across 10 acres of land in Naguvinahalli in Srirangapatna taluk, features a vintage car museum that has become the latest attraction for visitors to Mysuru.

A view of the carts and cars at the Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum near Mysuru. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Conceived and curated by Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala D. Veerendra Heggade, the Payana Car Museum boasts of a collection of about 80 to 90 enchanting exhibits of automobiles displayed on two expansive floors of the museum ranging from not only vintage cars, but also two wheelers, carts and trucks, each of which narrate a story of their own.

“Our museum is more than a collection; it’s an educational journey, meticulously crafted to bring the golden age of motoring to life,” says the museum management on its website. The “educational journey” takes visitors through an evolution of transportation, past the exhibits of wheels used over the ages, carts, cars, jeeps, two wheelers and trucks manufactured over the last century.

The 1947 model Citroen Traction Avant has been displayed at the Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

The vintage cars are displayed in chronological order starting with a 1925 model of Fiat 501 from Italy through the 1929 model of Studebaker President manufactured in U.S.A. past the Austin, Ford and Morris cars of the 1930s and 1940s through India’s very own Hindusthan-14 manufactured in 1952, Hindusthan Landmaster of 1956 and Hindusthan Ambassador Mark II of 1962 before reaching the galleries sporting cars of the late 20th century and early 21st century like the Cielo and the Maruti Suzuki 800.

Veerendra Heggade’s passion for yesteryears’ cars

While the exhibits of wheels are accompanied by a display panel containing information on the evolution of wheels - starting from 10,000 BCE (Before Common Era) when logs of trees were used as rollers to transport heavy objects to the present hub-less wheels – the galleries of vintage cars too sport display boards with information about the vehicles to encourage visitors to explore and discover the stories behind the automobiles.

A 1965 model of Cheverlot Impala, an American classic and popular movie car, is on display at the Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum near Mysuru. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Pride of place

Prominently displayed in the museum is the 1949 model of Daimler DE 36 belonging to erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore late Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. The car manufactured by the Daimler Company England from 1946 to 1953 was the company’s largest and most expensive cars of that era. It’s only competitor at the time was the Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.

Among the exhibits is also a 1929 model Studebaker President, which was used by Mahatma Gandhi during his visits to Karnataka.

A 1962 Standard Herald, manufactured in England in 1962, greets the visitors to the Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum at its entrance. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Another exhibit drawing attention of the visitors is the Studebaker Champion, a 1947 model car, used by well-known Indian physicist and Nobel Prize winner Sir Chandrashekara Venkata Raman, popularly known as C.V. Raman. While the influential scientist’s legacy lives through the C.V. Raman Institute for Physics in Bengaluru, the car he used is among the prized exhibits in the museum.

Also attracting the visitors’ attention is the 1965 model of Cheverlot Impala, an American classic and popular movie car. The car was named Impala after the graceful African antelope, which was used as the car’s logo. In 1965, Impala set an annual sales record of one million units in the U.S. The car, which reached a top speed of 96 mph or 154 kph was priced $ 2,700 in 1965.

A view of the two-wheelers of the yore on display at the Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum near Mysuru. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Two-wheelers

The museum has reserved space even for two-wheelers of the yore. A bevy of yesteryears two-wheeled beauties including Rajdoot motorcycle, Luna Super 50 cc moped, besides Kinetic Honda, Bajaj, Chetak and Vespa scooters were also on display.

The Yamaha RX 100, a rage among the youngsters in 80s and 90s is also among the exhibits at the museum.

A 1929 model Studebaker President, which was used by Mahatma Gandhi during his visits to Karnataka. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Trucks on display

A 1958 model Willys Truck 475, manufactured in U.S.A., and Tata Lorries, manufactured in 1973 and 1976 were also on display at the museum.

A military truck – KrAZ 260 manufactured in Ukraine in 1981 – bearing camouflage pattern of paint is also among the collection at the museum.

When asked from where the exhibits had been sourced, the museum representatives overlooking its maintenance said Dr. Veerendra Heggade, who has a deep-seated passion for the elegance of yesteryear’s cars, had collected them over a period of time while a few others had also been donated for display.

Wheels and carts are on display at the Payana car museum. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

The museum, which was thrown open barely two months ago in April this year, has already started attracting a steady inflow of visitors. The Museum, which is open from 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all days, draws about 2,000 to 3,000 visitors every day on a weekday and between 5,000 to 6,000 during weekends, according the Museum representatives.

While entry for children under 12 years is free provided an ID card is shown as proof, adults will have to pay ₹50 per person. Though the museum has been thrown open to the public, work on “branding” the exhibits is still underway. The authorities are planning to put up a QR code by scanning which the visitors can get information about the exhibits.

Meanwhile, the lower floor of the Museum also houses a Manjusha Museum featuring artefacts including items of the bygone era like antique typewriters and cameras, stamps, coins, currency notes, besides a restaurant.

Evolution of wheels through ages

According to historical accounts, the earliest depiction of a wheeled vehicle was found around 3635-3370 BCE (Before Common Era) though potter’s wheel was invented in 4000 BCE and logs were believed to be used as rollers to transport heavy objects as early as around 10,000 BCE.

Early wheels in 3500 BCE were wooden discs with square hole in the middle for an attached axle and in ancient India wheels were used for chariots. An Egyptian war chariot with wheels dating back to 1200 BCE is depicted in a mural in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II.

Around 2000 BCE, the invention of the spoked wooden wheel, a much lighter wheel was first used for war chariots.

Steel rims and disc wheels in the design

In 1845, John Dunlop improved upon and patented the air-filled tyre, replacing the hard rubber tyres on bicycles while it was in 1920s that steel rims and disc wheels came into design.

It was in 1960s that alloy wheels were introduced to reduce the weight of wheels followed by the tweel, an airless tyre designed by French tyre-maker Michelin.

Presently, wheels have evolved into hubless wheels without any a rotating hub at the centre of the wheel.

Carts from the bygone era on display

Also on display at the museum are carts, which were extensively used for transportation purposes in the bygone era.

While horsedrawn carriages, whose vestiges are still visible in parts of the country, were the mainstay of transportation in urban areas, the carts drawn by bullocks were used by people in rural areas to transport both men and material.

1925 model Fiat, manufactured in Italy

A 1925 model Fiat 501 is among the oldest exhibits at Payana Vintage Car Museum near Mysuru. Manufactured in Italy, the Fiat had a 1,460 cc engine with 23hp@2,600 rpm and could run at a top speed 44 miles per hour or 71 kilometres per hour. Its price in 1925 was 32,000 Lire.

This model was the first entirely new automobile manufactured by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (FIAT) in 1919 after the first world war to replace the Fiat 70, which was in production from 1915 to 1920. This model was also Fiat’s response to an attempted invasion of the European market by the American Ford Model T.

Mysuru Maharaja’s car in the museum

The 1949 model Daimler DE 36 belonging to the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysuru the late Jayachamaraa Wadiyar occupies a pride of place among the vintage cars on display at the Museum.

The DE chassis manufactured by Daimler company, England, from 1946 to 1953, was the company’s largest and most expensive cars of its time with its competitor being the Rolls-Royce Phantom IV. Its price in 1947 was 1,300 pounds for chassis only. “It was being offered as a rolling chassis and allowed buyers to have a custom-built body by third-party coach builders to their individual taste”, according to information provided by the Museum.

The Daimler DE 36 model with a long wheelbase was primarily sold to British royalty and overseas to the royalty of Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Monaco, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, besides the heads of State of other nations.

Published - June 07, 2024 09:00 am IST

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Payana Car Museum is the newest attraction for tourists in Mysuru
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