The garage sends out its last antique car

CS Ananth has wound up his antique-cars restoration enterprise. The pandemic with its zillion disruptions didn’t power this choice.

He explains he’s 77 and “with my past major health problems along with some present health issues, there was no option but to say goodbye”.

With a 1949 MG TC leaving the workshop on May 1, 2021, Ananth’s profession statistics stand frozen at “75 car restorations in 14 years”, an oeuvre that reserves for him a notable place amongst restorers from South India.

Antique automotive restoration marked a second profession for Ananth, which sneaked up on him as most second careers do.

In the early 2000s, parts of an enviable post-retirement life have been in dazzling array for him. Retirement from UCAL as a prime govt, adopted by a transfer to an expansive beachside dwelling in Neelankarai. Memberships with golf equipment providing golf and tennis being capped off with a brand new interest. So, there it was — Ananth determined he can be on the coal-face of restorations involving a handful of vintage vehicles he had purchased for his household’s delectation.

“It began around 2007 when seeing my restored cars — Morris Eight Tourer, Austin Burnham and Essex — A Sivasailam (the late industrialist from the Amalgamations Group) wanted me to work on his 1947 Riley,” recollects Ananth, admitting to an preliminary hesitation as “engagements of this kind do not particularly contribute to post-retirement comforts”.

Ananth continues: “Sivasailam would offer me three more of his cars — Dodge Kingsway, Morris Eight and Morris Minor — for restoration. Around the same time, Steve Borgia (from INDeco Leisure Hotels) and N Sankar (from The Sanmar Group) entrusted me with the restoration of their Plymouth and Triumph Super 7 respectively. I had formed Team CSA with the workshop and office being established in the spacious backyard of my home. I realised that the restorations should be done as a company and not a hobby. If it were a hobby, I would not have the commitment; nor would the workers.”

When an avocation turns right into a vocation, adversarial elements that haven’t been accounted for can have a uncommon sting to them. Ananth has had his share of pet peeves from these early days, which he learnt to soak up his stride.

“Once a stack of hickory wood I imported for making wooden spokes was stuck at the Customs. The official assumed it was contraband, and would not accept my explanation. Irritated, I told him I take wood for food on doctor’s prescription. When he was offended at my snarkiness, I said when a genuine reason was being rejected, what else could I do?”

The fledgling initiative had a scare in 2009, when Ananth “fell sick from complications of cancer”. Following therapy, he rapidly eased again into the routine.

Upskilling was a defining characteristic of his run as knowledgeable restorer.

“When I went to Germany on a holiday around eight years ago, I spent two days at Kienle Automobiltechnik, which specialises in Mercedes-Benz restorations, to learn about rust-proofing. They taught me everything, and when I came back and started looking for materials, none of the ones they suggested was available in India. Finally, Dupont had a minimum volume of rust-preventive coating paint of that order to sell, and I was one of the very few restorers at that time to be able to buy it,” says Ananth.

Recognitions for Ananth embody awards for vehicles restored by him at a few editions of the 21 Gun Salute Vintage Car Rally; a judging position as soon as on the similar occasion; an ongoing stint as adviser to GD Naidu Car Museum, Coimbatore; the position of adviser, registrations with Federation International des Vehicules Anciens (FIVA) in 2016; and a chief choose’s position at two worldwide rallies, in Malaysia and Singapore.

Back at Neelankarai, the workshop is stark apart from a clutch of equipment “which I am retaining to be able to maintain my own collection of antique cars”.