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MUSEUM · VINTAGE CARS

Auto World Vintage Car Museum

One of the world's great private car collections — vintage Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and maharaja-era classics under one roof.

AT A GLANCE Quick Facts
📍 LOCATION Kathwada, north-east outskirts
🚗 TYPE Vintage car & carriage museum
🏆 COLLECTION 100+ classic vehicles
🕗 TIMINGS Roughly 9 AM – 9 PM
🎟️ ENTRY Ticketed (rides extra)
☀️ BEST SEASON Year-round
⏱️ DURATION 1.5 – 2 hours
🚌 NEAREST Kathwada
ABOUT THE PLACE

A maharaja's garage, opened to the world

On the city’s north-eastern edge sits one of the largest private collections of vintage and classic cars on earth — the life’s work of the late connoisseur Pranlal Bhogilal. Behind a grand, fort-styled facade, gleaming rows of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Mercedes, Cadillacs and Lincolns recall an age of maharajas and grand tours.

Many of the cars once belonged to Indian royalty, and most are kept in running order rather than mothballed. Alongside the automobiles stand horse-drawn buggies and carriages, and on weekends visitors can even ride in a classic car around the grounds.

For anyone with a love of design, engineering or sheer nostalgia, it is an unexpectedly magical stop — a quiet temple to the golden age of the motor car.

The museum’s grand, fort-styled frontage.

HISTORY

From a riverside experiment to the road to freedom

Vehicles kept gleaming and road-ready.

20th c.

Connoisseur Pranlal Bhogilal builds one of the world's largest private car collections.

Over decades

Rare and royal marques are sourced, restored and kept running.

Opened

The collection is housed at Kathwada and opened to the public as Auto World.

Today

More than a hundred vintage cars and carriages, many still drivable.

WHY VISIT

Reasons to make the time

🏆

World-class collection

Among the largest private vintage-car collections anywhere.

👑

Royal motors

Cars once owned by Indian maharajas and nobility.

🛞

Kept running

Most vehicles are maintained in working order, not just displayed.

🐎

Carriages too

Horse-drawn buggies and carriages sit beside the cars.

🚗

Classic-car rides

Ride a vintage car around the grounds at weekends.

📷

A design feast

Chrome, curves and craftsmanship at every turn.

HIGHLIGHTS

What to look for inside

THE MUSEUM

The grand facade

A fort-styled building housing the collection.

COLLECTION

Vintage marques

Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes and more.

ROYALTY

Royal motors

Cars once owned by Indian maharajas and nobility.

CARRIAGES

Buggies & carriages

Horse-drawn carriages displayed beside the cars.

RIDES

Classic-car rides

Take a vintage car around the grounds at weekends.

DETAILS

Chrome & badges

Hand-beaten coachwork, polished dashboards and emblems.

THINGS TO DO

How to spend an hour or two

01

Tour the galleries

Walk the rows of vintage and classic cars, marque by marque.

02

Spot the royal cars

Look for the vehicles once owned by Indian maharajas.

03

See the carriages

Admire the horse-drawn buggies displayed alongside the cars.

04

Take a classic ride

On weekends, ride a vintage car around the grounds.

05

Photograph the details

Get close to the chrome, badges and dashboards.

06

Enjoy the grounds

Wander the fort-styled campus and gardens.

A fort-styled campus built around the cars.

ARCHITECTURE & SETTING

Chrome, craftsmanship and a grand setting

Auto World is as much about setting as cars. The collection is housed behind a theatrical, fort-styled facade and spread through display halls and grounds designed to evoke a princely estate. Inside, the vehicles are arranged so you can walk among them and take in the detail — the hand-beaten coachwork, the badges, the polished dashboards.

The collection spans the great names of motoring history alongside horse-drawn carriages, tracing the journey from buggy to luxury car. Crucially, most exhibits are kept road-ready, so this is a living collection rather than a static display.

100+ vintage & classic cars

Cars once owned by royalty

Horse-drawn carriages & buggies

Most kept in running order

BEST TIME TO VISIT

When to go

WINTERNov – Feb★★★★★

Cool and bright — the most pleasant time to be out across Ahmedabad.

MONSOONJul – Sep★★★★☆

The city greens up and the heat breaks with brief, refreshing showers.

SUMMERMar – Jun★★★☆☆

Hot and dry, often 40°C+. Best enjoyed early morning or after sunset.

⏰ Visit on a weekend if you'd like a classic-car ride, and allow time to take in the detail of each marque.

PLANNING ESSENTIALS

Timings & entry

🕗OPENING HOURS9 AM – 9 PM
  • Open daily, generally morning to night
  • Classic-car rides usually run at weekends
  • Allow 1.5–2 hours for the full collection
  • On the city's edge — plan travel time
🎟️ENTRYTicketed
  • An entry ticket applies for the museum
  • Classic-car rides are charged separately
  • Photography is generally allowed
  • Best reached by your own cab or vehicle
HOW TO REACH

Getting there

✈️

By Air

SVP International Airport is about 14 km away — roughly a 30-minute drive.

🚆

By Rail

Ahmedabad Junction is around 16 km; a cab is the simplest option.

🚗

By Road

At Kathwada on the north-east edge; drive or take a cab, with parking on site.

NEARBY DISTANCES
City centre — 15 km · Airport — 14 km · Kankaria Lake — 12 km · Sabarmati Ashram — 16 km
PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE

Shooting the cars

CHROME & CURVES

Polished marques, badges and a grand frontage

What to shoot

The gleaming bodywork, badges, headlamps and dashboards up close.

💡

Mind reflections

Curved chrome catches everything — shift your angle to control glare.

🏛️

The facade

The fort-styled frontage makes a dramatic wide shot.

🐎

Don't miss

The carriages and buggies add variety beyond the cars.

TRAVEL TIPS

Know before you go

1Visit at weekends for the classic-car rides.
2It's on the city's edge — plan your travel time.
3Allow 1.5–2 hours to do the collection justice.
4Photography is allowed; watch for chrome glare.
5Best reached by cab or your own vehicle.
6Combine it with Kankaria Lake on the same side of town.
NEARBY FOOD

Where to eat around the ashram

STREET FOOD

Manek Chowk

By night the old jewellers' square turns into a buzzing street-food bazaar.

SNACKS

Law Garden Khau Galli

An evening lane of carts serving Gujarati chaat, sandwiches and sweets.

CLASSICS

Old City stalls

Fresh fafda-jalebi, dabeli and khaman in the lanes of the walled city.

🍽️GOOD TO KNOW

A vegetarian city

Ahmedabad is famously veg-friendly — expect superb thalis and farsan.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Auto World Vintage Car Museum FAQ

Where is Auto World Vintage Car Museum?

At Kathwada, on the north-eastern outskirts of Ahmedabad, about 15 km from the centre.

What's the collection?

One of the world's largest private collections of vintage and classic cars, plus carriages.

Whose collection is it?

It was assembled by the late connoisseur Pranlal Bhogilal.

Is there an entry fee?

Yes — an entry ticket applies, and classic-car rides cost extra.

What are the timings?

Roughly 9 AM to 9 PM daily.

Can I ride in a vintage car?

Yes, classic-car rides are usually offered at weekends.

How much time should I plan?

About 1.5 to 2 hours.

Are the cars in working order?

Most are kept road-ready rather than purely on static display.

How do I get there?

It's on the city's edge — a cab or your own vehicle is easiest, with parking on site.

Is photography allowed?

Yes, photography is generally permitted.

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