Wonder on small wheels

A Volkswagen Beetle, a 1928 Mercedes Benz, a Lexus, a stretch Limo, a Porsche, a Rolls... sheer class and style. A space shuttle carrier,...

A Volkswagen Beetle, a 1928 Mercedes Benz, a Lexus, a stretch Limo, a Porsche, a Rolls8230; sheer class and style. A space shuttle carrier, a fire engine, a Nissan diesel truck, a Lancia racer8230; solid power and strength. Neeraj Madhekar8217;s car collection, despite its miniature size, has all the dazzle of the real stuff.

8220;I love cars,8221; admits Madhekar, and that is probably what prompted him to keep carefully the first dinky car 8211; a Ford Turbo Fury 8211; presented by his grandmother in 1975. It was a gift to the five-year-old boy, but it proved to be more than a mere toy for him. So fascinated was he by the miniature replica that it kicked off a passion for dinky cars and other such mini versions that has got keener by the day.

8220;Most of my earlier items were products of Matchbox, England. Today what you get in the market are mostly of Italian or Chinese make,8221; he explains. 8221;My brother Nikhil too has contributed to my set.8221; And gradually his earnings enabled him to indulge in his hobby. 8220;To me, buying more items for my collection is nothing short of an investment,8221; he declares!

Over the past two decades, it has grown to include 235 items. Including a range from vintage cars to military vehicles to motorcycles and trucks. 8220;The military jeeps are quite a rarity, I am told. They are made in China, and details like a camouflage print on the body have been taken care of,8221; points out Madhekar. In fact, that is the beauty of these miniature versions. The small size has not hampered crafting out all the tiny details.

Like his favourite 8211; a red Volkswagen Beetle. Minimised to the ratio of 1:24, the front seats can be dropped, the doors open, the steering works. 8220;I purchased it from a departmental store in Mumbai, and waited till I was able to procure this specific colour,8221; he says with pride. A 1928 red and black Mercedes Benz and a black stretch Limo complete with a sun top! are others that are given a place of pride. A black Robo Cop car that can be raised by a hydraulic lever, a Dodge that works on pullback action, a Lancia Delta S4 with a rear engine- it8217;s a fleet out there.

8220;The aesthetics are fine, but the insides of the car hold more significance. Like the Volkwagen has the fan belt, the radiator, the clutch, brakes, accelerator all marked out in detail.8221; The recent additions to Madhekar8217;s collection are motorcycles and aircraft. The vehicles on the street are fine, but for Madhekar, the ones in his collection are cooler!