In a captivating display of history meeting modernity, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made a grand entrance aboard a stunning vintage 1930 Rolls Royce-20/25 to inaugurate the second phase of the toll-free Mumbai Coastal Road on Monday, June 10.
He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar joining in the gleaming vintage 1930 Rolls Royce-20/25 open-top car provided by Gautam Singhania, Chairman of the Raymonds Group, from his personal collection.
Taking to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Gautham Singhania, shared a video of the event and wrote, "It was an honour to have provided the Rolls Royce 20/25 Cabriolet manufactured in 1930 from my vintage car collection to Hon. CM Eknath Shindeji & Hon. Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis at the inauguration of the north-bound arm of the Coastal Road."
"Just like many Mumbaikars, I am looking forward to driving on this new stretch of road soon which connects Worli to Marine Drive," he added.
The iconic Rolls Royce is a 94-year-old marvel maintained by Singhania.
The south-north arm of the Mumbai Coastal Road, inaugurated by Shinde, is set to open for traffic from June 11, and will reduce commute times from Marine Lines to Haji Ali to just 8 minutes, down from an hour.
This new stretch, approximately 10.5 km long, complements the first phase from Worli to Marine Lines, which opened earlier.
Named after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the Mumbai Coastal Road is expected to be fully completed by October.
Speaking at the event, Shinde highlighted the modern amenities incorporated into the new stretch and will greatly alleviate traffic congestion between south and north Mumbai.
Speaking at the event, Shinde highlighted the modern amenities incorporated into the new stretch and will greatly alleviate traffic congestion between south and north Mumbai.