Visiting The Payana Car Museum – A Vintage Car Paradise

Just a few months ago a car museum opened up in Mysore and having gone there a year ago I saw it as a perfect chance not only to celebrate my birthday but also get into the fascinating world of vintage and classic cars, and trust me when I say that this place is vintage car paradise.

Being right beside the Bangalore-Mysore highway the museum is quite easy to reach and you will notice the museum is shaped like a car tire which I think is pretty cool. I will also mention the whole place is actually a complex with a restaurant included so it’s easy to stop by and eat when required.

Actually coming to the museum now. When you enter you first go through the upper level of the museum and If you observe closely you will notice there is a theme as you go along, the cars start from oldest to newest (with a few exceptions) with the first cars you encounter being two old Fiats from 1926 and 1928.

You will also come across a couple of interesting cars with interesting histories. The first of these being a Studebaker President that was once used by Mahatma Gandhi. One of the most interesting and also one of my favorite cars in the museum however, is the 1949 Daimler DE 36 that belonged to the Maharaja of Mysore. It’s very long and definitely a really luxurious car back in the day and I am fortunate to photograph such a beautiful vintage car up close.

As you continue through the upper level you come across several cars such as the Chevrolet Impala, a famous car that was used in many films and the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air which was another American icon back in that time and a car I actually have as a scale model in my collection which makes it more special for me to have seen that one.

You also have this vintage beauty, a 1947 Studebaker Champion that once belonged to the famous scientist C.V Raman so another car with a significant history. The light greenish blue and white color combination on this particular car really makes it stand out.

Moving down the spiral ramp to the lower level of the museum and it starts with a couple of old icons from India like the Ambassador, a couple of Fiats of different model years and other cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Then comes the section which honestly was an unexpected but a pleasant surprise for me, a row of older luxury cars (seen in below photo).

The first of these being a blue 1980 Mercedes W123 240 D, a car that would have to be imported to India at that time. Next to the 240 D is a 2nd generation BMW 7 Series, the 7 Series being most luxurious car in the BMW sedan lineup, then a 1980s Toyota Corolla (not luxury), another Mercedes in white and then comes a real underrated and seemingly recent addition, a Jaguar XJ from the late 1990s which would be another luxury import as Jaguar only entered the Indian market around 10 years later. Just next to the row of luxury cars lies a Cadillac sedan as well.

Finally near the end are the star attractions of the museum. A 1934 Morris 15/6 and a 1926 Mercedes displayed on turn tables where you can get to see and photograph them in all angles.

Now even if it’s a primarily vintage car museum you also see recent cars like the older Hyundai Verna and Sonata and a 2006 Mercedes E Class for example, I feel some of these recent cars are probably temporary until the museum acquires older cars to replace them. In addition to cars the museum also displays old 2 wheelers, carts, military vehicles and all kinds of car components.

All in all if you are a car lover and especially a vintage car lover, the Payana car museum is absolutely worth the visit especially seeing as there is a lot of potential for new additions as they acquire more older cars.