Shillong’s charming colonial-era cityscape, burgeoning music scene, misty mountains and cascading waterfalls make it a treacherously beautiful place to explore, especially during spring.
Home to a vibrant amalgamation of communities, including the indigenous Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes, along with people from all over the country who have settled in Shillong – the city evokes nostalgia interlaced with a cosmopolitan flair. This cultural diversity, which is evident in the city’s cuisine, music, and festivals, is united by the collective passion for personalisation.
If you take a leisurely stroll around Police Bazaar, you are bound to witness a sea of cars that look like Maruti 800s but aren’t. Zipping through the city streets with the agility of a squirrel, these are not your stock cars but ardently customised vehicles with details hard to overlook. As a matter of fact, it’s tough to spot stock cars on the road.
In recent years, Shillong has witnessed an incredible surge in customisation. What was at one point a niche interest has now evolved into a flourishing subculture with more and more people asserting their individuality by adding a personal touch to their vehicles. From oversized tyres, shiny alloys, and custom paint jobs to whimsical roof linings, decked dashboards and crazy sound systems – in Shillong, you’ll find an audacious level of creativity on display at every turn.
What’s remarkable is that this passion for customisation is not limited to the select few with cha-chink to throw around but is shared equally, if not more fervently, by the regular folks. From cabbies to small business owners, everyone wants to add a personal touch to their new or even second-hand cars.
An interesting conversation with Derrick Adhikari, owner of FredCustoms, a local car customisation shop in Shillong, revealed that customisation goes back a long time in Shillong. In the 90s, it was mostly the Fiats and Ambassadors that were customised, and later the Maruti 800s joined the line of punks. With these cars, it was primarily the interiors that were modified – the seats would be customised to look like plush sofas and the music system would be upgraded.
Derrick shared that since alloys were not an option back then, people used to modify the wheel caps with bowls. This goes on to show that there’s no dearth of creativity in the small cities. As the market grew, people started experimenting with more elements – alloys, woofers, spoilers, mammoth tyres, tinted windows, ambient lighting, advanced navigation systems, and whatnot.
“There are instances where people take the car out of the showrooms and take it directly to a customisation shop. It’s a trend. If you don’t have alloys, the car looks so simple. It’s not like a ’Shillong car’, as you say, so the first thing people do after buying a car is to invest in customisation“, said Derrick Adhikari.
Since Shillong is a small city and the roads aren’t too wide, there’s a lot of congestion and parking issues. Hence, people naturally prefer small cars, like Alto 800s and Swifts, while Vernas are just coming into the scene. Derrick also highlighted that people in Shillong prefer Marutis as they’re more compact for daily use, whereas Hyundais are considered a little high-maintenance. But it does not imply that people don’t modify high-end cars, the number is just relatively lesser than the Altos. Derrick also mentioned that on average, around 10 Altos are modified every day.
But why? One reason could be that the one-size-fits-all approach is rapidly losing relevance since everyone wants something unique. According to Kenny, owner of Detailing Lords in Shillong,
“There are several reasons why people customise their cars. Many people want their cars to reflect their personality and style, so they customise them to stand out and make a statement. Overall, car customisation allows people to express themselves, improve performance, and create a vehicle that meets their specific needs and preferences.”
If one were to dig deeper to analyse the desire to customise, two clear motivations emerge – identity and function.
While customising for function primarily focuses on the performance and usability of the vehicle, customising for identity asserts individuality, reinstates cultural identities and facilitates social connections.
One such outlet that recognises and celebrates this shared passion in the most revving fashion has to be ML 05 in Upper Shillong. As you enter the cafe, you see a Royal Enfield motorcycle hanging bang in the centre of the cafe. The space is decorated with customised artwork, quotes around the love of biking and driving, car headlights installed as ceiling lights, and steering wheels as door handles. Apart from that, the entire space is deliciously seasoned with spare parts from cars and bikes, adhering to one coherent theme.
The cafe is the brainchild of Deval Timbrewalla, who is a hotelier by profession and a motorsport enthusiast at heart. When asked about the motivations for creating a cafe around the automotive theme, Rachana Mukherjee, Senior Digital Marketer at ML 05, highlighted that the cafe draws inspiration from the thrill of the open road, the hum of engines, and the sense of freedom that comes with riding/driving.
“In a city where automotive culture runs deep, the founders wanted to create a space that celebrates the spirit of adventure and the sense of community that often accompanies it. It’s a hub where locals and travellers alike come together to share stories of their rides/drives, swap tips on the best routes, and bond over their shared passion for cars and bikes”, Rachana said.
The enthusiasm of the people in Shillong goes beyond modification. The cars you’ll spot on the bustling roads of the city are not only bizarre but as neat as a new pin. One look at the cars, and you can tell that people leave no stone unturned when it comes to taking care of their vehicles. It is evident by the hundreds of car wash facilities that have cropped up in Shillong in recent years and are thriving.
The winding streets of Shillong dotted with quaint little cafes and boutiques, the Rock music scene and thrift stores selling drool-worthy vintage pieces of questionable authenticity – is a sight that you will always remember, but Shillong with its funny little cars neatly lined up on jam-packed roads is a sight you won’t be able to forget.
Disclaimer: Car customisation is not entirely legal in India.