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Mini-car museum opens in Hyderabad

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

A museum of mini-cars and two-wheelers, designed by an indigenous car-maker who figures in the Guinness Book of World Records, was opened in Hyderabad on the occasion of Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, today.

Sudhakar, a mini-car designer, has put on display the mini-cars and miniature two-wheelers made by him at a museum in the Bahadurpura area of the city.

The car museum is an extension of the garage-cum-workshop owned by Sudhakar. It has on display over 80 models of cars and two-wheelers, designed and assembled by him. This has been his hobby since the last 22 years.

Reckoned to be a specialist in making miniature replicas of vintage, quaint and fascinating models of cars and bicycles, Sudhakar is credited with making mini-cars, which include the 'camera car' shaped like a Nikon F3 camera, vintage models of Rolls Royce series, the shoe car, the brinjal car, the helmet car, the burger car, and the cup-saucer car.

There are a total of 28 hand-crafted miniature cars on display. Most of the cars are fitted with two-wheeler engines. These single-seater, three-or-four-wheelers are capable of cruising at a speed of 40 kilometres per hour.

He has also designed the world's smallest double-decker as well as one of the smallest trains: a metallic train powered by a 170-cc engine. The 20-inch-high and 19-feet-long miniature train, 'Chanu Express', can carry nine children.

Sudhakar, who is elated over his achievements and recognition that these brought him over the years, says that his ambition is to create 100 mini-cars in all.

He also wants to create the world's smallest motorcycle. Already, he has made a six-inch-tall motor cycle fitted with a 3.5-cc engine. The smallest motorbike, four inches tall, however, exists in Britain.

He says that ever since he created his first mini-car, when still studying in school, he has been fascinated by cars. He began making the mini-cars when he tried to 'recreate' the popular models almost 22 years ago.

Soon, he focussed on making 'innovative models'. Each of the mini-vehicles costs between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000.

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