Travel - International Indian

in life as he lusted after his father’s 1942WW-II Ford. No other car from his familystable, which included Buicks, Chryslers,Hudsons and even a Rolls-Royce, was ableto draw the attention of a teenager besottedwith the rather gawky jeep of the type usedby the British and Indian forces to drive outthe Japanese in the Battle of Kohima in 1944.Several hundred such jeeps of American makewere brought to India for the war. “Finally, myfather gave in and gave me Rs 2,200 to buymy own jeep and leave his alone,” chucklesthe founder of IP Memorial School in Liluahwith a child-like glint in his eyes. “Those days,petrol was only Rs.1 per litre and I rememberdriving around endlessly on my first jeep, aWillys MB.” He was 16 at the time.His second, which was also his first fullyrestoredjeep, was a Ford GPW which UBSdismantled completely before rebuilding itwith parts from a similar jeep, improving thebrake and steering system. Thus began hishobby of sourcing old jeeps and restoringthem. He left the Ford GPW under his brotherUmesh’s care when he went away to study.Originally from the Punjab, UBS’s ancestorsmigrated to Bengal more than 200 hundredyears ago. Their connection with wheels begana long time ago. “My grandfather, NandKumar Singha, set up the first bus service inHowrah with Salkia Transport Agency,” saysUBS. His father, Indrajit Kumar Singh, ran thetransport business till it hit a roadblock andwas liquidated after which he opened a cinemahall. UBS acquired a BSc degree from BirlaInstitute of Technology and Science, Pilani,Rajasthan, and returned home following hisfather’s illness to take up the family business.His father passed away a year later in 1977.His love for restoring vintage jeeps revivedlike an old itch and in 1980 UBS started aworkshop at his Liluah home. He purchasedold jeeps, restored them and sold them tointerested buyers. He developed contacts withscrap-dealers and offered them more moneythan they would have made by scrapping ajeep. Soon word spread and people wouldoften land at his door with a bargain orinformation about a jeep in someone’sbackyard. The lead would immediately get UBSdriving off or boarding the next train or busto “anywhere.” His pursuit often made himleave home early in the morning and returnlate at night. “It was crazy,” says his wife AtimaSingh, whom he married in 1978. “Those werenot the mobile phone days. One day he didnot return home and very late in the nighthe called me from a public telephone boothsaying that he’d found a place to sleep andfood to eat.”Even though his passion soon became abusiness, he would not sell the jeeps he mostfancied- the World War II models and lowbonnetCJs-. “I restored them but never partedwith them,” UBS adds. Slowly his collectiongrew.When UBS and his wife started the schoolin 1992, UBS shut his workshop to devote histime entirely to the institution. But two yearshad barely passed before restlessness set inagain and propelled him back to the comfortof his greasy workshop, which he lovinglyTOP: UBS’s lovefor restoring vintagejeeps revived likean old itch and in1980 UBS starteda workshop at hisLiluah home(Photo by Uday Bhan SinghBELOW: UBS’slove affair with thejeep started early inlife as he lusted afterhis father’s 1942WW-II Ford(Photo by Uday Bhan Singh‘‘“Eventhoughhis passionsoonbecame abusiness,he wouldnot sellthe jeepshe mostfanciedtheWorldWar IImodelsand lowbonnetCJs-. “Irestoredthem butneverpartedwiththem,”UBS adds.Slowly hiscollectiongrew.”‘‘The International Indian 73