Vijay Mallya's Ferrari Is Back On The Road, Thanks To An Indian King (Video)
The fugitive billionaire business tycoon Vijay Mallya, who currently resides in London, was known as the “King of Good Times” in India. This was due to his extravagant lifestyle and his love for high-end super luxury cars, mansions, and luxury clothing. Today, he does not live in India, but his prized possessions have now found new homes in the country. Most recently, his Ferrari 328 GTS Targa was seen getting blessings at the residence of Sangramsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad in Mumbai.
This video, showing the Ferrari 328 GTS that once belonged to Vijay Mallya undergoing a Hindu welcoming and blessing ceremony, has been shared on Instagram by PratapSinh Gaekwad on his page. In this short clip, one of the associates of the Royal Family of Baroda was seen lighting incense sticks around the Ferrari 328 GTS. He was accompanied by two other men.
Apart from this, a video of PratapSinh Gaekwad driving this beautiful Targa supercar from Ferrari was seen on the Worli Sea Link road in Mumbai. It can be noted that the Baroda Royal Family member was driving this vehicle with its roof off along with one of his friends. There are a few images of this Ferrari being driven at night, which have been shared online.
Vijay Mallya’s ex-Ferrari
As mentioned above, this particular Ferrari 328 GTS was previously owned by Vijay Mallya, the owner of Kingfisher Airlines, which went bankrupt. He left India back in 2016 and currently resides in London. This Ferrari 328 GTS is one of the rarest Ferraris in India, as not many were imported. It was launched back in 1985 and replaced the Ferrari 308.
The Ferrari 328 GTS came powered by a 3.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 motor. This motor is capable of generating 270 bhp of power and 304 Nm of torque. It can reach a top speed of 267 kmph, and 0-100 kmph happens in just 6 seconds. It may seem slow for a Ferrari when compared to the modern era, but back in the day, it was one of the highest-performance cars on the market.
Presently, the vehicle is owned by PratapSinh Gaekwad, who is an Indian former first-class cricketer and cricket coach. He is also a member of the Gaekwad dynasty of Baroda and currently first in the line of succession to the unofficial title of Maharaja of Baroda. He is a very passionate automotive enthusiast as well and owns several exotic cars.
PratapSinh Gaekwad's Car Collection
In addition to the Ferrari 328 GTS, PratapSinh Gaekwad also owns a number of other exotic and super rare luxury and supercars. He also owns a few luxury SUVs and vintage cars. The list of his cars includes an Aston Martin DBS, a 991.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a 1978 Datsun 280Z, a Bentley Brooklands Coupe, and a Porsche Cayenne. He also owns a Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG.
One of the most important cars in PratapSinh Gaekwad’s collection is his 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230SL “Pagoda.” This particular convertible luxury sports car has today become a collector’s item. It was in production from 1963 to 1967 and was nicknamed the “Pagoda” due to its concave roof.
Mercedes-Benz offered the 230SL with a 2.3-litre M127 inline six-cylinder engine. This motor was capable of producing 148 bhp and 196 Nm of torque, and it could reach a top speed of 200 kmph. Today, a “Pagoda” in excellent condition can fetch around Rs 50 lakh to 1 crore.