No favourites for Gautam Singhania when it comes to cars; still has a Fiat 1100 he got at 18

Raymond MD Gautam Singhania on why he doesn’t play favourites when it comes to his swanky wheels.

My first car
“The first car I owned was a white Fiat 1100. I bought it when I turned 18, which was ages ago. It was a gift from my family. I still have it — it’s in mint condition. It is a great car. The Fiat in those days was a floor shift, it had a good stereo system. I even rallied and raced that car. It was special to me.”


No favourites
“I have a few cars but I don’t think I can call any my ‘favourite’ because all my cars are different. For a lot of people, cars are just a car — transport. But to me, two cars, take for example the Ferrari and Lamborghini; even though they may share the same market space, they are so different from each other. They feel different, they drive different — you can’t pick a favourite. I have about a dozen cars. I am more into sports cars, but I am getting interested in vintage cars too.”



Show time
“I wish I was in California because the SEMA show is going on and I couldn’t go because of work. It is the ultimate show for automobiles. I went five years ago but it always clashes with Diwali.”



The best road trip…
“Internationally, one route that I haven’t done but look forward to is the Pacific Coast Highway. North India has some great routes as well including Leh/Ladakh, Srinagar and Kargil. In fact, soon I will be taking two dozen CEOs to Oman to drive in the desert.”

Tip top
“I have a team of people who look after my cars. You need to maintain, service and run your cars regularly. A lot of people leave their cars parked on the floor and that really flat spots your tyres. I use flat-stoppers, so that the tyres don’t go flat.”



Colour code
“If it’s a Ferrari, it’s red, if it’s a Lamborghini it’s white — so it depends on the car. Certain colours suit certain cars. Historically, Ferrari comes in red. Now, a lot of people buy it in white. In the middle, they went yellow. In my garage, I have all the colours — orange, blue, red, yellow.”

If I had to name my car…
“Why would I name my car if the manufacturers are doing it? I would never call it something like Herbie (laughs).”

Music on the road
“The only kind of music I listen to in my car is the sound of the exhaust. I enjoy the sound and feel of my sports cars — I have never played any music in my sports cars.”

Getting behind the wheel makes me…
“Feel happy.”