Classic and Vintage Fleet
Hillman Grand Tourer 1934 Austin 12_4 Ascot Saloon 1935 Morris 10 Tourer 1933
Skoda Tudor Roadster 1949 Skoda Roadster 1202 Tudor 1950 Austin A40 Devon
MG Magnette ZB Borgward Isabella Morris Oxford
Ford Consul Fiat 1100 Milicento DKW Junior
Mercedes Benz 280 S-Class 1972 Hillman Minx 1948
The Vintage Car Owners’ Club was founded in 1987 and has made an indelible mark in the vintage vehicle scene in Sri Lanka.
Birth of VCOC
The very hurried birth of the VCOC was due to dire circumstances at the time.
Since the invention of the motor car over 100 years ago, every type of motor vehicle has been on the roads of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). With improvements taking place rapidly, the older motor vehicles were becoming part of Sri Lanka's National Heritage. Most of these makes and models were unique. With the advent of mass production these valuable vehicles had to be preserved. With this objective the Veteran Car Club of Ceylon (VCCC) was formed in 1953 by Mr. Chitru Peiris. They organized many grand events and a significant achievement was the ban on the export of vehicles first registered prior to 01. 01. 1945 - Govt. Gazette No 47/8 of 31.07.1979 refers. The credit should be attributable to Mr. Vere de Mel, who was President of the VCCC in the early 1970's. He was a senior civil servant and a keen motoring enthusiast of "Quickshaws" fame by which reputation he was appointed as the first Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board in 1958. The legislation was gazetted after his demise in March 1978.
In 1987 came another bombshell when legislation was to be introduced to scrap all vehicles on which annual revenue licence fees were not paid. The arrangements available hitherto of obtaining "Non-User Certificates" were not permitted. There was a hue and cry among vintage vehicle enthusiasts and panic among single owners of many vintage vehicles. Many representations were made by the VCCC, personally by the President Mr. Chitru Peiris as well, but the fair lady Commissioner of Motor Traffic did not budge. She wrote to the VCCC on 9.10.1987 conveying that “Vehicles that are not licenced for a long period would have their registrations cancelled”. This meant scrapping of the vehicles by cutting the chassis and their ultimate destruction. The vintage vehicles belonging to Sri Lanka's National Heritage were in jeopardy.
At this crucial stage another senior motoring personality, Mr. M M Salih, summoned a few enthusiasts on 17. 10. 1987 and founded the Vintage Car Owners’ Club (VCOC). He personally approached the Minister of Transport, Hon. M H Mohamed, and the annual licence fee on all A to Z series vehicles were reduced from Rs. 1,000/- to Rs. 25/-, irrespective of the class, weight and fuel used - Govt. Gazette No. 497/7 of 15.03.1988 refers, and it should be observed that this appeared within 5 months! There was complete jubilation and relief among all vintage vehicle owners and enthusiasts. Since then the VCOC has not looked back and has made great strides.
However, despite all these efforts, a national calamity took place in the guise of computerization at the Department of Motor Vehicles in 1987. All the records pertaining to A to Z series vehicles were destroyed by sending them to the Paper Mills Corporation. Nor were the data computerized. This caused many difficulties to owners for transferring and licensing of vintage vehicles. The VCOC submitted proposals to the Hon. A.H.M. Fowzie, Minister of Transport in 1999, resulting in the Commissioner of Motor Traffic agreeing to do so on a case by case basis.
After the demise of the Founder President, Mr. M M Salih, the first Annual General Meeting was summoned in October 1991 and Mr. Farih Fauz was elected as President. He rendered yeoman service. Thereafter late Mr. Dushmantha Mapitigama, Mr. Ranjith Illangakoon, Mr. Ali Azeez and Mr. Wipula Jayantha have held this position. Since inception there were dynamic Committees whose efficient administration of the VCOC and organization of events need to be praised immensely.
Birth of VCOC
The very hurried birth of the VCOC was due to dire circumstances at the time.
Since the invention of the motor car over 100 years ago, every type of motor vehicle has been on the roads of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). With improvements taking place rapidly, the older motor vehicles were becoming part of Sri Lanka's National Heritage. Most of these makes and models were unique. With the advent of mass production these valuable vehicles had to be preserved. With this objective the Veteran Car Club of Ceylon (VCCC) was formed in 1953 by Mr. Chitru Peiris. They organized many grand events and a significant achievement was the ban on the export of vehicles first registered prior to 01. 01. 1945 - Govt. Gazette No 47/8 of 31.07.1979 refers. The credit should be attributable to Mr. Vere de Mel, who was President of the VCCC in the early 1970's. He was a senior civil servant and a keen motoring enthusiast of "Quickshaws" fame by which reputation he was appointed as the first Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board in 1958. The legislation was gazetted after his demise in March 1978.
In 1987 came another bombshell when legislation was to be introduced to scrap all vehicles on which annual revenue licence fees were not paid. The arrangements available hitherto of obtaining "Non-User Certificates" were not permitted. There was a hue and cry among vintage vehicle enthusiasts and panic among single owners of many vintage vehicles. Many representations were made by the VCCC, personally by the President Mr. Chitru Peiris as well, but the fair lady Commissioner of Motor Traffic did not budge. She wrote to the VCCC on 9.10.1987 conveying that “Vehicles that are not licenced for a long period would have their registrations cancelled”. This meant scrapping of the vehicles by cutting the chassis and their ultimate destruction. The vintage vehicles belonging to Sri Lanka's National Heritage were in jeopardy.
At this crucial stage another senior motoring personality, Mr. M M Salih, summoned a few enthusiasts on 17. 10. 1987 and founded the Vintage Car Owners’ Club (VCOC). He personally approached the Minister of Transport, Hon. M H Mohamed, and the annual licence fee on all A to Z series vehicles were reduced from Rs. 1,000/- to Rs. 25/-, irrespective of the class, weight and fuel used - Govt. Gazette No. 497/7 of 15.03.1988 refers, and it should be observed that this appeared within 5 months! There was complete jubilation and relief among all vintage vehicle owners and enthusiasts. Since then the VCOC has not looked back and has made great strides.
However, despite all these efforts, a national calamity took place in the guise of computerization at the Department of Motor Vehicles in 1987. All the records pertaining to A to Z series vehicles were destroyed by sending them to the Paper Mills Corporation. Nor were the data computerized. This caused many difficulties to owners for transferring and licensing of vintage vehicles. The VCOC submitted proposals to the Hon. A.H.M. Fowzie, Minister of Transport in 1999, resulting in the Commissioner of Motor Traffic agreeing to do so on a case by case basis.
After the demise of the Founder President, Mr. M M Salih, the first Annual General Meeting was summoned in October 1991 and Mr. Farih Fauz was elected as President. He rendered yeoman service. Thereafter late Mr. Dushmantha Mapitigama, Mr. Ranjith Illangakoon, Mr. Ali Azeez and Mr. Wipula Jayantha have held this position. Since inception there were dynamic Committees whose efficient administration of the VCOC and organization of events need to be praised immensely.
Rallies and Events
The VCOC has conducted many rallies, reliability runs, motor shows, road races and other events, which have all been very successful. These instilled awareness to preserve vintage vehicles, which are part of Sri Lanka's National Heritage.
Membership
The strength of the VCOC is 180 members, a small club with big achievements.
Honours and Tributes
Mr. H. Chitrupa Peiris has been bestowed with high honours for pioneering the vintage vehicle movement by founding the Veteran Car Club of Ceylon in 1953.
For initiating vintage vehicle rallies in 1953, then called "Old Crocks Rallies" and instilling interest in them, Mr. Ranjith Wijewardene, Mr. Edward Mason, Mr. Tabby Murrell and Mr. W R Daniels have been honoured.
High tributes have been paid to Mr. Vere de Mel and Mr. M M Salih for their part in the introduction of the two landmark legislations.
Their names will go down in the history of the vintage vehicles movement in Sri Lanka.
The VCOC has conducted many rallies, reliability runs, motor shows, road races and other events, which have all been very successful. These instilled awareness to preserve vintage vehicles, which are part of Sri Lanka's National Heritage.
Membership
The strength of the VCOC is 180 members, a small club with big achievements.
Honours and Tributes
Mr. H. Chitrupa Peiris has been bestowed with high honours for pioneering the vintage vehicle movement by founding the Veteran Car Club of Ceylon in 1953.
For initiating vintage vehicle rallies in 1953, then called "Old Crocks Rallies" and instilling interest in them, Mr. Ranjith Wijewardene, Mr. Edward Mason, Mr. Tabby Murrell and Mr. W R Daniels have been honoured.
High tributes have been paid to Mr. Vere de Mel and Mr. M M Salih for their part in the introduction of the two landmark legislations.
Their names will go down in the history of the vintage vehicles movement in Sri Lanka.
Founder Members | |||
President Vice-Presidents Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer Club Captain Members | : Ebert Silva and Neville Fernando : M.M. Salih : Hercil J.O. Fernando : M.A. Farih Fauz : Tilney Peiris : Air Marshall Walter Fernando | ||
| Merril Kannangara E.L.M. Saleem Lalith Botejue Naomal Kirtisinghe | |||
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