On Sunday, February 1, all roads led to The Lake Club as the EIMG Concours d’Elegance 2026 set the City of Joy on fire with a bevy of scintillating and exotic vehicles which took part in this annual heritage extravaganza.
Now in this fifth edition, the event was organised by Eastern India Motoring Group (EIMG), a community of serious heritage vehicle collectors & restorers, in collaboration with The Lake Club and in association with ACE Commercial. With the majestic Rabindra Sarobar in the backdrop and clear blue sky above, the sprawling green lawn of The Lake Club will make for the perfect setting for a memorable rendezvous with motoring heritage.
The EIMG Concours d’Elegance is the brainchild of EIMG Founder & President Mr. Shrivardhan Kanoria who felt the need of gifting the City of Joy with an international standard Concours that would go on to rival the best in the world. With every passing year, the EIMG Concours has been gaining in stature and reputation attracting application from hundreds of serious heritage vehicle restorers and collectors from across eastern India. Kanoria himself meticulously handpicked the final entries of the EIMG Concours from the vast pool of applications received. The competition has been becoming more and more tough each year with the very best of the best locking horns for the top honours.
Mr. Shrivardhan Kanoria was the Chief Judge of the EIMG Concours d’Elegance 2026. He was joined by a panel of expert judges which included Mr. Avik Naha, Mr. Shubhajit Kumar and Mr. Swapan Kumar Lahiri. The heritage vehicles were judged on the basis of authenticity, restoration, maintenance, provenance, rarity and personal connection with the owner. An iconic name in the heritage vehicle fraternity Mr. Nitin G, Dossa, Founder, Director & Chairman of VCCCI and Chairman of WIAA graced the Prize Distribution Ceremony as the Guest of Honour.
The icing on the cake at this year’s EIMG Concours was the line-up of beautiful and rare Rolls-Royces which adorned the club lawns like spectacular jewels. Keeping the Rolls-Royces company was a century-old 1925 AC Royal owned by Yogesh Agarwalla – a very popular Kolkata car which has been participating in rallies since 1968.
Another highlight at the EIMG Concours 2026 was the showcase of a rare and historical Jaguar E-Type owned by Mr. Dharmaditya (Julia) Patnaik which has been completely resurrected by Concourz Restorations.
A 1938 Rolls-Royce 25/30 owned by Avik Naha made its third consecutive appearance at the EIMG Concours d’Elegance. This stunningly beautiful car won The Best of Show at the 2024 Concours d’Elegance at The Lake Club.
The 1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe once driven by legendary singer and composer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and now owned by Swapan Kumar Lahiri was another beauty on display at the EIMG Concours. The Lahiri family bought this car in the early 1970s and thoroughly restored it. Fondly referred to as ‘Nilu’, the car is meticulously maintained till date. This car won The Best of Show at last year’s EIMG Concours.
A rare 1948 Bentley Mark VI owned by Azam Monem returned to the EIMG Concours d’Elegance for the second consecutive year. A marvelous car and one-of-its-kind in Kolkata charmed the onlookers. Saurjya Pratim Mitra’s brilliantly restored 1937 Ford 7W10 also returned to the EIMG Concours and attracted admiration and envy in equal measure.
A rare German car Adler manufactured in 1938 proved to be a huge crowd puller. Presently owned by former cop Mr. Gadai Chandra Dey, this car has a fascinating history. It was buried after the owner of the vehicle heard in 1939 that it would be acquisitioned by the American Army for its officers serving the USA during World War II. It was later salvaged in 1965 and completely restored.
A 1963 Triumph Spitfire which was once owned by Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff has always been a popular car in the Kolkata circuit, much like its debonair owner Saikat Dutta. As always, this car turned many heads at this year’s EIMG Concours d’Elegance.
A Ford Anglia whose reference one gets in the writings of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter evoked admiration from young and old visitors alike. Once owned by ace footballer Subhas Bhowmick, this car is presently the prized possession of Amritendu Roy.
Other noteworthy vehicles which were showcased at The Lake Club – EIMG Concours d’Elegance 2026 included a 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 owned by The Karnani Family, Avik Naha’s 1948 Rover 14 P2, Siddharth Swarup’s 1947 Wolseley 14, Sarmistha Hazra’s 1965 Hillman Imp, Prithvi Nath Tagore’s 1958 Mercedes-Benz 180 A, a well-maintained 1964 Standard Herald owned by Subhajit Kumar, and Sarojesh Mukerjee’s 1958 Standard Vanguard, just to name a few.
A 1938 Rolls-Royce 25/30 along with a well preserved 1936 Bentley 3.5L belonging to the Shrivardhan Kanoria Collection was also displayed at The Lake Club – EIMG Concours d’Elegance 2026 adding panache and elegance to the event.
The Lake Club has been successfully hosting the Concours d’Elegance in collaboration with EIMG for their members and guests. This event witnessed a great turnout of exotic heritage cars, as well as a huge footfall of both members and outsiders, making it the Best Vintage Motoring Event of Kolkata.
Special thanks to The Lake Club President, Mr. Indranil Ghosh, The Joint Secretaries, Mr. Subrata Guha, Mr. Debabrata Dutta, and all the Committee Members of the Club, for the breathtaking venue, cocktail brunch, and wonderful hospitality. This gesture of Lake Club in collaborating with EIMG has been a big step towards preserving the Motoring Heritage of Eastern India.
A special shout out to EIMG Secretary Mr. Subhajit Kumar for being instrumental in bringing The Lake Club and EIMG together to host this memorable venue. Heartfelt gratitude to EIMG Vice president Mr. Avik Naha for hosting the Concours Dinner for the EIMG Members.
EIMG CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2026 RESULTS:
CATEGORY A – CARS BUILT UPTO 1930
BEST IN CLASS – 1928 ESSEX SUPER 6 – SURENDRA KUMAR DUGAR
SECOND IN CLASS – 1929 FIAT 514 C – GAUTAM SUREKA
THIRD IN CLASS – 1930 FORD MODEL A – PARTHA BANIK
CATEGORY B – CARS BUILT FROM 1931 UPTO 1940
BEST IN CLASS – 1934 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 – KRISH AJMERA
SECOND IN CLASS – 1932 FORD V8 – DEBAPREM CHATTERJEE & P.S. BASHA
THIRD IN CLASS – 1938 ALDER TRUMPF – GADAI CHANDRA DEY
CATEGORY C – VINTAGE TWO DOOR CARS
BEST IN CLASS – 1937 FORD 7W10 – SAURJYA PRATIM MITRA
SECOND IN CLASS – 1937 OPEL KADETT – P.S. BASHA
THIRD IN CLASS – 1938 AUSTIN 7 – SUSANTA SARDAR
CATEGORY D – CARS BUILT FROM 1941 UPTO 1950
BEST IN CLASS – 1948 ROVER 75 – SAROJESH MUKERJEE
SECOND IN CLASS – 1947 CHEVROLET FLEETMASTER – SAIKAT DUTTA
THIRD IN CLASS – 1948 MORRIS 8 – SHIBABRATA LAHA
CATEGORY E – CARS BUILT FROM 1951 TO 1975
BEST IN CLASS – 1958 MERCEDES-BENZ 180 A – PRITHVI NATH TAGORE
SECOND IN CLASS – 1951 AUSTIN A70 – SUBHODEEP GHOSH
THIRD IN CLASS – 1951 MORRIS MINOR – SUBRATA SARKAR
CATEGORY F – CLASSIC TWO DOOR CARS
BEST IN CLASS – 1948 MGTC – RUPAK GHOSH
SECOND IN CLASS – 1964 FORD ANGLIA – AMRIT ROY
THIRD IN CLASS – 1965 HILLMAN IMP – SARMISTHA HAZRA
CATEGORY G – INDIAN HERITAGE CARS
BEST IN CLASS – 1958 STANDARD VANGUARD – SAROJESH MUKERJEE
SECOND IN CLASS – 1955 STANDARD 10 – INDRA KUMAR GHOSH
THIRD IN CLASS – 1961 FIAT SELECT – MAYUKH RAY
CATEGORY H – TWO WHEELERS
BEST IN CLASS – 1952 BSA B31 – MUBARAQ MASEEH
SECOND IN CLASS – 1947 ARIEL RED HUNTER – HARJIT SINGH DHANJAL
THIRD IN CLASS – 1949 NORTON DOMINATOR – CHANDAN BASU MALLIK
OLDEST CAR AWARD – 1925 AC ROYAL – YOGESH AGARWALLA
OLDEST BIKE AWARD – 1936 JAMES – M.A. MOIN
PRESERVATION AWARD – 1961 MERCEDES-BENZ W110 – ANIRUDHA GHOSE
RESTORATION AWARD – 1957 LAND ROVER S1 – MAKAIBARI TEA
RESURRECTION AWARD – 1930 FORD MODEL A – JATIN PAL SINGH
ADMIRABLE AWARD – 1935 AUSTIN 10 – SUBRATA ROY
JUDGE’S CHOICE AWARD – 1963 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE – SAIKAT DUTTA
SPECIAL CAR AWARD – 1947 WOLSLEY 14 – SIDDHARTH SWARUP
TOURING DELIGHT AWARD – 1949 CHEVROLET FLEETLINE – MAMITA JAISWAL
SPORTY PLAYBOY AWARD – 1974 RANGE ROVER – VIVEKANANDA CHANDA
EPITOME OF ELEGANCE AWARD – 1948 BENTLEY MK VI – AZAM MONEM
HOT RIDE AWARD – 1973 FIAT BARCHETTA REPLICA – SAURABH PODDAR
VASANT KARNANI MEMORIAL AWARD FOR THE THIRD OF SHOW – 1958 MERCEDES-BENZ 180 A – PRITHVI NATH TAGORE
MOMEN SAHAB MEMORIAL AWARD FOR THE SECOND OF SHOW – 1948 BENTLEY MK VI – AZAM MONEM
SHASHI KANORIA MEMORIAL AWARD FOR THE BEST OF SHOW – 1934 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 – KRISH AJMERA
Photographs courtesy: Mohammed Adnan Aslam and Yatharth Sheth
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