When tourism reopens in India, Mumbaikars will have a new place to visit in Lonavala. Hyderabad’s Sudha Cars Museum is set to open its branch in the hill station near Pune.

The work on creating wacky cars for the new museum is currently underway at its Hyderabad site in Bahadurpura. “The museum will have a collection of cars identical to those in Hyderabad; after they are created, they will be transported to Lonavala,” informs founder and creator K Sudhakar. This marks the museum’s first branch outside the city.

A tiny tot has a close look at a car made in the shape of a personal computer by K. Sudhakar of Sudha Cars Museum.   | Photo Credit: K RAMESH BABU

In Hyderabad, Sudha Cars Museum sees scores of tourists, including school students from Mumbai and Pune every year. “Many students are attracted to the creations and are so enthusiastic to learn about it. Their interest encouraged me to open a branch in Lonavala,” he adds.

Sudhakar chose Lonavala as the hill station is popular for family outings. “It is a beautiful hill station, and has wax museums, but there is not much of entertainment, especially for children. This museum will be a major attraction.”

Fascinating collection

Cars in the shape of a brinjal, burger, toilet, basketball, cricket ball... the three-acre proposed site at Lonavala will have nearly 100 bizzare cars as well as a few wacky cycles.

HYDERABAD, 10/05/2011: Guinness World Record Holder for making the Largest Tricycle in the World, K. Sudhakar, during an interview to The Hindu Metro Plus, in Hyderabad on May 10, 2011. Sudha Cars Museum is the first and only handmade Wacky Car museum in the World. Photo:Nagara Gopal   | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

A photo gallery where visitors can take selfies with the cars will be part of the museum. “Construction at the site has stopped due to COVID-19; we had planned a December 2020 inauguration; but now it is postponed,” he adds.

Inaugurated in 2010, the Hyderabad museum in Bahadurpura near the Nehru Zoological Park has been popular thanks to Sudhakar, an automobile engineer who converted scrap into cars.

His passion for cars began as a teenager. “I started when I was 14. As my parents did not give me much money at such an young age, I leaned towards junk and created objects out of it.”

Most of his spare parts come from the 15 junkyards near the Zoo which make his cars non-expensive. He says, “For my brinjal car or any other wacky car, I need shock absorbers, wheels or a small motor power which are readily available in these junkyards. I want my cars to move, not race in a competition. It works out cheaper for me.”

Hyderabad is a city with the world’s best craftsmen, he says, adding a special word for their workmanship, “I am lucky to have such people who understand my vision. One needs patience and skill to create these cars. These are neither commercial nor mass-produced.”

Sudhakar regularly makes cars for special occasions. He recently made a ‘Corona car’ to spread awareness on COVID-19.