Ruby, Resilience, and Rallies: The Lady in Red Still Rules Kolkata’s Roads

Image Source: Telegraph India

In a city where colonial charm meets modern chaos, one crimson beauty continues to steal the spotlight. Kolkata’s oldest-running car—a 1906 Renault Frères, affectionately nicknamed the Lady in Red—is not just a mechanical marvel but a living legacy. As of August 2025, this ruby-hued relic remains a showstopper at vintage rallies and a symbol of generational devotion, restoration artistry, and timeless elegance.

Here’s the full story of how this French masterpiece defied decay, theft, and time to become India’s most cherished automotive survivor.

1. A Forgotten French Gem Finds a New Home

- Originally built in France by the pioneering Renault brothers, the car was imported to India in the early 20th century
- In the 1960s, Late Mr. H.C. Agarwal acquired the car from a zamindar family in Bengal
- At the time, the vehicle was in shambles—missing its engine, with broken mudguards and scattered carbide lamps
- The car’s fate changed when Shashi Kanoria, Agarwal’s future son-in-law, made a gentleman’s bet to find the original engine within a year

Key highlight: Against all odds, Shashi traced the missing engine to a caretaker of the former owner’s estate and restored the car to its original glory

2. Restoration, Romance, and Rallies

- By the 1970s, the Renault Frères was fully restored and painted in a deep, arresting red
- It became a crowd-puller at Calcutta’s vintage car rallies, often seen gliding past Eden Gardens and Esplanade
- The Kanoria family—Shashi, Rekha, and their daughters Shruti and Amrisha—turned the car into a symbol of heritage and family pride
- The Lady in Red won multiple trophies and became synonymous with Kolkata’s vintage car movement

Key takeaway: The car wasn’t just restored—it was reborn as a cultural icon and a rally favorite

3. A Long Pause and a Glorious Comeback

- In 1986, a major engine failure put the Lady in Red out of commission for nearly two decades
- From 2005 to 2018, the car returned to the rally circuit under the stewardship of Shrivardhan Kanoria, Shashi’s son
- Shrivardhan inherited not just the car but the passion and precision required to maintain it
- The car once again dominated Kolkata’s vintage rallies, drawing admiration from enthusiasts and judges alike

Key insight: The Lady in Red’s journey is a testament to generational love, mechanical mastery, and cultural preservation

4. More Than a Machine: A Living Legacy

- Today, the car is maintained like a family heirloom, with meticulous care and reverence
- It remains one of the oldest surviving and running cars in India, and the only French car featured in My Kolkata’s vintage car series
- The Renault Frères is not housed in a museum—it lives in the heart of a family and the streets of a city that adores it
- Its story continues to inspire vintage car lovers, restorers, and heritage custodians across the country

Key highlight: The Lady in Red is more than metal and wheels—it’s memory, motion, and magic

In a world racing toward electric vehicles and AI-driven mobility, Kolkata’s Lady in Red reminds us that some journeys are best taken slowly, with style, soul, and a rumble seat full of stories.

Sources: The Telegraph India, Get Bengal, NK Realtors Blog