Opened in 2015, the museum is a tribute to the late GD Naidu, an eminent industrialist, ardent automobile enthusiast, educationist and philanthropist, by his son GD Gopal.
Driving down the bustling Avinashi Road in Coimbatore, a brilliant orange Volkswagen Beetle mounted substantial up on a pedestal grabbed my consideration. Turns out it was the entrance to the Gedee Vehicle Museum. I stopped to have a peek at the vast vary of vintage cars and trucks on screen at the sprawling 20,000 sq ft museum. Car record unfolded in advance of me as I strolled down the curving hallway. For a amateur unfamiliar with the historical past of cars like me, it was an enlightening expertise to see posters and photos depicting the evolution of the wheel, the vehicle business, and the descriptions of every of the autos on exhibit.
Opened in 2015, the museum is a tribute to the late GD Naidu, an eminent industrialist, ardent auto admirer, educationist and philanthropist, by his son GD Gopal, the handling trustee of the museum. Gopal ongoing his father’s passion by not just supplementing the selection, but by also keeping most of the vehicles in motorable issue.
If you have a penchant for automobiles and their persuasive background, this automobile museum is a not-to-be-missed location. For auto buffs, it can be frustrating to gaze at the 60-odd automobiles on display screen highlighting the technological transformations in the vehicle business – from the motor and shaft, to entire body construction, seating and tyres – with owing credit history to the inventors. 8 special cars were donated by vintage automobile fans and auto aficionados who needed to share their prized belongings with the standard public. What will make this museum fascinating is the brain-boggling prosperity of facts furnished about vehicles, designers, engineers and manufacturers.
Walking close to the museum, I learnt every little thing about vehicles and carriages, together with points such as how the Sumerians invented the wheel in 3200 BCE how the Egyptians launched spoked wheels in 2500 BCE. how pharaoh Tutankhamun of Egypt rode at wonderful velocity in excess of desert dunes on a chariot.
The selection is categorised into a couple of sections. In the Exceptional Automobile segment, I uncovered the Benz Patent Motorwagen, regarded as the world’s initially three-wheeled car. It had an interior combustion, one-cylinder, 4-stroke engine powered by gasoline and was the initially-ever car patented by Germany’s Karl Benz. There is also the Ford T (very first mass made vehicle in the early 1900s) and the Morris Mini, viewed as a forerunner of modern-day autos, thanks to the entrance-wheel generate format. The Volkswagen Beetle occupies pride of area. Touted to be ‘a vehicle at the value of a motorbike,’ it price tag Rs 850 in these days. An additional amazing vehicle on display screen is the Citroen 2CV. It was built to have two French farmers and a basket comprehensive of eggs by means of a ploughed area.
A replica of Benz Patent Motorwagen

The vehicles are further more labeled according to their region of origin this sort of as British, German, Japanese, French, Spanish and American. Other amazing autos on display screen involve the Rolls-Royce 20, and American classics like the Dodge Victory 6 (first all-metal entire body), and the magnificent Cadillac limousine, which is the formal vehicle of the US President. Also on show is the British Austin 7, nicknamed Child Austin, one of the most well-known spending plan cars of its time.
Ford’s motor vehicle for the masses

Yet another emphasize of the museum is the 1921 Rudge Multi 500cc motorcycle that was owned by Naidu. There are also previous black-and-white images of Naidu having courses, keeping workshops and interacting with vehicle tycoons.
Just about every automobile is connected to planet background and has a tale to convey to. For instance, the small Bubble Vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s, made as easy-to-push and affordable transport, grew to become popular in publish-war Europe when fuel rates shot up due to the 1956 Suez Disaster. This motor vehicle can seat only the driver and 1 passenger. There are no doorways on the aspect and the entrance of the vehicle doubles as the exit.
Bubble Motor vehicle and Micro Automobile

I found the nexus concerning automobiles and Hollywood equally intriguing. For instance, a Volkswagen Beetle referred to as the Really like Bug has been featured in at minimum six flicks.
The Appreciate Bug

We also had a peek at the Toyota Sera, a two-door, four-seater coupe, noteworthy for its butterfly doorways that tilt up and ahead when opened. The Sera too has featured thoroughly in tv serials and videos, most notably in the Tamil movie Padayappa, starring Rajinikanth it is reportedly one particular of the actor’s favorite versions.
Toyota Sera, which featured in Rajinikanth’s Padayappa

The museum also has a royal relationship in the Hispano Suiza H6B, the only just one in the state that after belonged to the Maharaja of Mysore. A large poster that includes Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar sheds gentle on imported cars owned by Indian royalty. An attention-grabbing snippet is about the phrase ‘Doing a Mysore’. The tale goes that Rolls Royce was so accustomed to the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV, ordering autos in batches of 7 that it coined the phrase ‘Doing a Mysore’ to show shipping of a bulk get.
As I left the museum, I mulled over how the evolution of automobiles is represented in this fantastic assortment. I’m sure checking out this exhibit will inspire and ignite young minds to assume otherwise and challenge on their own to innovate.
For much more particulars, visit http://gedeecarmuseum.com.
All pictures by Susheela Nair.
Susheela Nair is an unbiased food items, journey and way of life author and photographer contributing content articles, written content and visuals to many nationwide publications apart from organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a extensive spectrum which also includes journey portals and manual textbooks, brochures and coffee desk guides.
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