In Bhopal, people are just crazy about vintage jeeps...
There’s a saying here that if a man can save up a bit of money after feeding his family, the first thing he looks for is a jeep.
“Jeeps from Bhopal are used in Bollywood movies. Many Bollywood stars have jeeps made in Bhopal, which shows how popular they are.”
And people don’t just buy jeeps... they also bring old wrecked ones back to life...
Zeschan Bari is a mechanic specialising in jeeps.
“In India Bhopal is known for the modification of old jeeps. We make the best vehicles in India. And you can find many people who are crazy about vehicles in this town. We only make jeeps to suit the requirement of the customer.”
And for this service, the sky’s the limit.
With money to spend, you can go home with a great looking vintage jeep.
“People are spending up to 1,000 to 2,000 US dollars to modify their vehicles. There’s no limit. It depends on your capacity. We can customise jeeps, make vehicles and modify them according to the needs and spending power of the customer. He can get any type of vehicle as long as he has money to spend.”
However, many mechanics now feel that there is no money in the business in spite of the craze for the vehicles in Bhopal.
They’re not earning as much as before... and they don’t get paid much for their labour.
Shahid Qamil is a writer who has written a lot on these vehicles.
“People from outside come here to buy open jeeps from Bhopal. You will find the best mechanics and their buyers in this city. I think this is the kind of trend you would not see in any other place.”
The fifties jeeps are very common in Bhopal and Ford is the most sought after model.
The Willys and the Landrovers in particular, have become status symbols.
Their owners like Feroze Khan believe that it gives them a macho image.
“It is something which is associated with the city. You cannot get this anywhere else in India. People in this city love these open jeeps and like to spend their money on them.”
