MAKARAND BAOKAR

This was the first campaign shoot in India with the VW new brand design which was published as an innovation 6 pager ad in Hindustan Times and The Hindu. Hoardings were also printed around the city.

Launch campaign photoshoot

Launch campaign photoshoot

Launch campaign photoshoot

Print ad and Brochure photoshoot

Launch campaign photoshoot

Press ad and Brochure shoot

Press ad and Brochure shoot

Press ad and Brochure shoot

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

A press ad campaign and brochure shoot.  Also, the images were used across the digital platform.

Press ad campaign Shot in the dunes of Rajasthan for Mahindra. Requirement was to shoot 3 images for 3 press ads showing the Thar in action. This is the first image released. From Dawn to Dust we managed to to shoot 18 various action images inspite of being held by a twister for 6 hours. 

Brief given by the agency was to shoot the car in studio setup and to have a directional lighting source keeping in mind all the details/molds/edges are visible. Design lines to be brought forward with a contrast. These images were then used for brochure and social media purposes. 

I worked alongside with teams from Blue Hive Shanghai and India to photograph the ad campaign as per their brief for the launch of their car Ford Figo Aspire. I photographed the car on location and in the studio. These images were then used in brochures, press ads, billboards and online advertisements. 

Brief was to deliver 35 images with their range of products around Indian festivals creating an image bank for print ads, online creative and highway billboards. Few images were to be shot in a lifestyle manner.

In India, the Diwali festive season accounts for 30% increased car sales year-on-year.

I worked with the agency to deliver 24 images of the launch campaign of the Chevrolet Trailblazer which were then used in press ads, brochures and online advertisements. All images were shots in various locations in northern India.

Brief was to deliver 35 images with their range of products around Indian festivals creating an image bank for print ads, online creative and highway billboards. Few images were to be shot in a lifestyle manner.

In India, the Diwali festive season accounts for 30% increased car sales year-on-year.

Brief was to deliver 5 images for print ads, online creative and highway billboards. 

Brief was to shoot the tractor with its various attachments in open fields. The images were used in press ads and brochures.

Brief was to shoot a white Skoda Rapid with black edition decals and alloys, and a black roof. The images - taken in a studio setup - were later edited against a white background for circulation in brochures, billboards, press ads and on social media. 

This was the first campaign shoot in India with the VW new brand design which was published as an innovation 6 pager ad in Hindustan Times and The Hindu. Hoardings were also printed around the city.

Ajinkya Rahane is an international cricketer who represents India and is the vice captain in the Test format of the game. 

I photographed Ajinkya for Man's World magazine.

This was a collaborative project of combining photography and CGI with Cocktail Art Co

Based on BMW engineering, Bristol built its first sports car in post-war Britain named the 400. It was the first model to be launched from the iconic brand, and this particular car was restored from a pile of scrap barely recognizable as a car and went on to win the resurrection cup at the 2017 Cartier Concours d’elegance at Hyderabad.

A small run of experimental Phantom 1 Rolls-Royces was built as a testbed for the next generation Phantom 2. This car, 17EX, was fitted with sporty coachwork by Jarvis and spent many years in India with the Maharaja of Kashmir and other collectors.

Four Ballot racers – featuring cutting-edge, straight-eight engines with DOHC and four valves per cylinder – entered the 1919 Indianapolis 500 race, but came away with results that belied their potential. However, triumphs soon followed, including a second-place at the 1921 French Grand Prix, a win at the first Italian Grand Prix a couple of months later, and then further successes in over 300 races and hill climbs.

Ballot racing engines were copied by Miller, Offenhauser and Sunbeam, and inspired Duesenberg. The Ballot sports cars were an inspiration for the Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, Bentleys, Delages and other specialized, high-performance production cars that were to take the sporting world by storm in the later 1920s, and they were unarguably the ancestor of all modern sports cars, being the first to be produced in series with a twin overhead camshaft engine and four valves per cylinder. Prominent coachbuilders, from H.J. Mulliner to Figoni, clothed their sporting chassis with imaginative designs, many of which are featured in these volumes.

This book is about Ballot the company and its founder, Ernest Ballot, as well as paying tribute to Ernest Henry, the man behind the engines, and the many brilliant racers, designers, and innovators associated with Établissements Ballot, one of the greatest of all French automotive marques that time has almost forgotten.

This was a book project with publisher Dalton Watson Fine Books

Arguably the prettiest and most extravagant car in India, this Delahaye has been with the Jodhpur royal family for decades. One of just a handful ever made, the bold styling is credited to Geo Ham, and executed by master coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi.

Based on BMW engineering, Bristol built their first sports car in post war Britain named the 400. It was the first model to be launched from the iconic brand, and this particular car was restored from a pile of scrap barely recognisable as a car, and went on to win the resurrection cup at the 2017 Cartier concours d’elegance at Hyderabad.

Ford launched the Thunderbird in the mid-1950s as an answer to General Motors’ first sports car - the Chevrolet Corvette. The T-bird, as it came to be called, was soon the favorite car for Hollywood stars including Marilyn Monroe.

This Dodge was ordered new by the Maharaja of Palitana and fitted with rare custom-built TJ Richards coachwork. The car is fully restored in the style of a ceremonial car with rich tapestry and fittings to match.

Readied just in time for the London Motor Show of 1948, it featured an all new 6 cylinder DOHC engine that would power subsequent models as well for decades. The 120 in the name was derived from the claimed top speed of 120 mph. Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons is credited with the development of this landmark model.

The rulers of Darbhanga, a princely state in India, had a large collection of exquisitely designed elegant Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Amongst them was this Gurney Nutting bodied 25/30hp, GRO48. The car remains in perfect condition and won runners up in its class in 2018 at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours

The Chrysler Corporation always used badge engineering to differentiate luxury models from mainstream ones. The top of the line luxury cars were badged as Imperials, and these competed with Lincolns and Cadillacs of the era.

Readied just in time for the London Motor Show of 1948, it featured an all-new 6 cylinder DOHC engine that would power subsequent models as well for decades. The 120 in the name was derived from the claimed top speed of 120 mph. Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons is credited with the development of this landmark model.

This XK120 was owned for 60 years by motorsport legend Nazir Hoosein and campaigned in many races.

Arguably the prettiest and most extravagant car in India, this Delahaye has been with the Jodhpur royal family for decades. One of just a handful ever made, the bold styling is credited to Geo Ham, and executed by master coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi.

Arguably the prettiest and most extravagant car in India, this Delahaye has been with the Jodhpur royal family for decades. One of just a handful ever made, the bold styling is credited to Geo Ham, and executed by master coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi.

Readied just in time for the London Motor Show of 1948, it featured an all-new 6 cylinder DOHC engine that would power subsequent models as well for decades. The 120 in the name was derived from the claimed top speed of 120 mph. Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons is credited with the development of this landmark model.

This XK120 was owned for 60 years by motorsport legend Nazir Hoosein and campaigned in many races.

The first car to bear the name of legendary engineer Ferdinand Porsche, the 356 cemented the brands reputation of building sporty well handling cars ideal for racing or touring. This example is believed to be the only one in India.

The first car to bear the name of legendary engineer Ferdinand Porsche, the 356 cemented the brands reputation of building sporty well handling cars ideal for racing or touring. This example is believed to be the only one in India.

This long-wheelbase Chevy bus pays tribute to long-distance touring in British Raj India and is packed with period travel accessories. Showcased in the Cartier Concours d’Elegance in 2019.

Ford launched the Thunderbird in the mid-1950s as an answer to General Motors’ first sports car - the Chevrolet Corvette. The T-bird, as it came to be called, was soon the favorite car for Hollywood stars including Marilyn Monroe.

The Impala badge was reserved for flagship Chevrolet models, first launched in 1958. For 1967 the new body design introduced more curves and was one of the most successful model years. This SS version benefits from a high-performance package.

By the late 1950s, American cars sported wild design cues inspired by the new jet age aeronautical themes. These included huge tail fins, which Cadillac peaked in its 1959 model. This 1960 example belongs to the industrial giants Birla family.

This very special car was ordered new by the Maharaja of Gondal who was a keen racing enthusiast, and the car was immediately put into the competition all over the country, winning accolades. The car remains in the same family ever since and in immaculate condition.

The Chrysler Corporation always used badge engineering to differentiate luxury models from mainstream ones. The top of the line luxury cars were badged as Imperials, and these competed with Lincolns and Cadillacs of the era.

The Fiat 500 in its earliest form was nicknamed the Topolino or Mickey Mouse, and when launched in 1936 gave Italians a cheap and reliable means of transportation that they hadn’t experienced before. It was a runaway success that carried on in various guises including the Nuova 500 till the 1970s.

Ford launched the Thunderbird in the mid-1950s as an answer to General Motors’ first sports car - the Chevrolet Corvette. The T-bird, as it came to be called, was soon the favorite car for Hollywood stars including Marilyn Monroe.

Dante Giacosa’s range of economical and rugged little cars became the face of Italian post-war motoring. The Nuova 500 was launched as a replacement to the iconic Topolino and went on to sell almost 4 million cars the world over.

Italy has always boasted a surprising number of sports car manufacturers, and Lancia is one of the greatest. Many of their sports cars were custom built by legendary Italian coachbuilders like Zagato. The featured car has been raced all over India by its first Italian owner, C Rossi.

Chassis 62UK was the very last Rolls-Royce Phantom 2 Continental ever built, and delivered new to the royal family of Jodhpur. Since the 1960s it is owned by the Jetha family of Bombay, and in 2018 even won its class at Pebble Beach. It is in regular use even now.

The 1930s proved to be the golden age for luxury cars in the American auto industry, with Cadillac leading the charge with their range-topping 16 cylinder model. The car was exceptionally refined and powerful, and the world wouldn’t see another 16 cylinder engine for decades to come.

Based on BMW engineering, Bristol built its first sports car in post-war Britain named the 400. It was the first model to be launched from the iconic brand, and this particular car was restored from a pile of scrap barely recognizable as a car and went on to win the resurrection cup at the 2017 Cartier Concours d’elegance at Hyderabad.

Launched in 1936 with a 2 1/2 litre engine, the SS100 is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports cars of all time. The name was derived from the claimed top speed of 100mph

This particular car is owned by legendary Bollywood star and car enthusiast Jackie Shroff

In the 1950s Calcutta had a very strong motorsports scene, with dozens of privately built ‘specials’ racing each other for the chequered flag. This special started out as a luxurious Lancia Astura, but at some point gained a sporty racing 2 seater body and a tuned Standard engine. It went on to compete in multiple races in Barrackpore and others.

A story of this was published by Petrolicious

The Land Rover was a familiar fixture the world over by the 1950s as the ideal workhorse vehicle. Popular with farmers and small business, a large number plied as taxis in the hills, given their go-anywhere capacity. This example ran as a taxi in Darjeeling for decades and is now part of an envious collection of Land Rovers.

The first car to bear the name of legendary engineer Ferdinand Porsche, the 356 cemented the brand’s reputation of building sporty well handling cars ideal for racing or touring. This example is believed to be the only one in India.

Dante Giacosa’s range of economical and rugged little cars became the face of Italian post-war motoring. The Nuova 500 was launched as a replacement to the iconic Topolino and went on to sell almost 4 million cars the world over.

In the 1950s Calcutta had a very strong motorsports scene, with dozens of privately built ‘specials’ racing each other for the chequered flag. This special started out as a luxurious Lancia Astura, but at some point gained a sporty racing 2 seater body and a tuned Standard engine. It went on to compete in multiple races in Barrackpore and others.

A story of this was published by Petrolicious

Italy has always boasted a surprising number of sports car manufacturers, and Lancia is one of the greatest. Many of their sports cars were custom built by legendary Italian coachbuilders like Zagato. The featured car has been raced all over India by its first Italian owner, C Rossi.

This Phantom II was delivered new to the Maharaja of Jodhpur, one of the wealthiest Kings in India at the time, who owned multiple Rolls-Royces. A sporty Windovers design cabriolet coachwork was fitted, with concealed drop down running-boards. The car remains in the same family from new.

This car won the coveted Best of Show at the 2013 Cartier Concours d’elegance in Mumbai

This Phantom 2 was delivered new to the Maharaja of Jodhpur, one of the wealthiest Kings in India at the time, who owned multiple Rolls-Royces. A sporty Windovers design cabriolet coachwork was fitted, with concealed drop down running-boards. The car remains in the same family from new.

Chassis 62UK was the very last Rolls-Royce Phantom 2 Continental ever built and delivered new to the royal family of Jodhpur. Since the 1960s it is owned by the Jetha family of Bombay, and in 2018 even won its class at Pebble Beach. It is in regular use even now.

The rulers of Darbhanga, a princely state in India, had a large collection of exquisitely designed elegant Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Amongst them was this Gurney Nutting bodied 25/30hp, GRO48. The car remains in perfect condition and won a runners up in its class in 2018 at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours

The Fiat 500 in its earliest form was nicknamed the Topolino or Mickey Mouse, and when launched in 1936 gave Italians a cheap and reliable means of transportation that they hadn’t experienced before. It was a runaway success that carried on in various guises including the Nuova 500 till the 1970s.

The Standard-Triumph Herald was continuously updated over the years, and this model was so named for its larger 1300cc motor with 60 horsepower. The car was owned by motorsport and racing legend Nazir Hoosein, who won the grueling Asia highway rally which went from Tehran to Dhakka.

The Standard-Triumph Herald was continuously updated over the years, and this model was so named for its larger 1300cc motor with 60 horsepower. The car was owned by motorsport and racing legend Nazir Hoosein, who won the gruelling Asia highway rally which went from Tehran to Dhakka.

After the runaway success of the Fiat 500, a mid-sized model was introduced called the 600. It was larger and more powerful and sold with success all over Europe.

The Festival of Speed is one of the largest motoring event in the world – a unique summer weekend that brings together an impossibly heady mix of cars, stars and motor sport ‘royalty’ to create the largest car culture event in the world. Held in the immaculate grounds of Goodwood House, this annual hill-climb event is a true celebration of motor sport and all things automotive.

1920 BALLOT at the festival of speed hill climb.

DE TOMASO P72

DE TOMASE P72

DE TOMASO P72

CARTIER display of cars at the festival of speed

CARTIER display of cars at the festival of speed

ARTURO MERZARIO is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 15 July 1972. He scored 11 championship points.

This image was shot during the Ennstal classic - "Driving in the last Paradise"

The Ennstal-Classic is a three-day-event with starting point in Gröbming in the Austrian province of Styria. Gröbming, situated within a beautiful mountain landscape becomes the center of the oldtimer-scene for three days. The smell of hey and hot engines is in the air. The only thing that counts is pure driving without electronic devices.

The Ennstal-Classic is driven on asphaltic roads only. Approximately 450 km have to be completed on each of the two driving days. The Ennstal-Classic is a sporty competition that keeps the excitement in the cockpits high during the regularity tests that are up to 20 km long. The average speed of 40 km/h for the epochs I and II as well as the 50 km/h average for the epochs III and IV are monitored in secret checkpoints from where a signal is sent to the encoded transponder of each car. Also regularity tests with light barries have to be driven. Every hundredth difference from the target time is measured with one penalty point. The fewer points you get the better. Only mechanical time- and distance measuring devices are allowed. On the last day the Zenith Grand-Prix takes place with thousand of fans in the centre of Gröbming.

Racing outfits made specially for the Ballot owner by CHAPAL

Racing outfits made specially for the Ballot owner by CHAPAL

Racing outfits made specially for the Ballot owner by CHAPAL

by Daniel Cabart and Gautam Sen, with photography by Makarand Baokar and contributions from Karl Ludvigsen and David Burgess-Wise The fastest cars in the world in 1919! Four Ballot racers – featuring cutting-edge, straight-eight engines with DOHC and four valves per cylinder – entered the 1919 Indianapolis 500 race, but came away with results that belied their potential. However, triumphs soon followed, including a second-place at the 1921 French Grand Prix, a win at the first Italian Grand Prix a couple of months later, and then further successes in over 300 races and hill climb.

Ballot racing engines were copied by Miller, Offenhauser, and Sunbeam, and inspired Duesenberg. The Ballot sports cars were an inspiration for the Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, Bentleys, Delages and other specialized, high-performance production cars that were to take the sporting world by storm in the later 1920s, and they were unarguably the ancestor of all modern sports cars, being the first to be produced in series with a twin overhead camshaft engine and four valves per cylinder. Prominent coachbuilders, from H.J. Mulliner to Figoni, clothed their sporting chassis with imaginative designs, many of which are featured in these volumes.

This book is about Ballot the company and its founder, Ernest Ballot, as well as paying tribute to Ernest Henry, the man behind the engines, and the many brilliant racers, designers, and innovators associated with Établissements Ballot, one of the greatest of all French automotive marques that time has almost forgotten.

This 920-page set is due to be published in March 2019 by Dalton Watson Fine Books

Many of the iconic vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, from simple, but beautiful Fiats, Citroëns, and BMWs – to many astounding Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis, rolled out of the coachbuilding facilities of Carrozzeria Bertone, as well as the design studios of Stile Bertone. A succession of cutting-edge concept machines during the 1960s and 1970s further cemented the belief that Bertone was not only the most audacious but also arguably the most progressive and innovative of all the Italian design studios, ever. Several of the important concept cars, as well as the emblematic production models from the Bertone design studio, were either retained or later collected by the coachbuilder in a private museum, housed at Stile Bertone near Turin. This book is about the many extraordinary cars from the Bertone Collection.

This book is published by Dalton Watson Fine Books in February 2018 at the Salon de Retromobile Paris

Within the covers of The 101 Automotive Jewels of India unfolds a journey of discovery, of the most unusual, exciting and best preserved automobiles in India. The 101 vehicles documented encapsulate the essence of the automobile in India and the impact on contemporary culture. This book brings out the most authentic examples of India’s automotive past, as well as a carefully considered selection of historic vehicles that stood out either as interesting, fascinating, or simply beguiling. The 101 Automotive Jewels of India by Gautam Sen & Makarand Baokar. Published by Heritage Publishers, New Delhi, India.

A selection of the finest Instagram accounts and photography. Cars gathers the most beautiful classic cars shots. A book published by Lanoo Publishers.

It is indeed incredible that this most unusual experimental car emanated from the drawing boards of Rolls-Royce Limited, a conservative carmaker if ever there was one. No, the Rolls-Royce Phantom I 17EX wasn't the flamboyant flight of fancy of an eccentric client, but a project commissioned by Mr. Conservative himself, Sir Henry Royce. Why did Royce want such a special car made? What became of it since? What intriguing journeys did it undertake? And how it found its present abode? This book is about all that, and about the tales and anecdotes from the life and times of Rolls-Royce's most special, its association with Indian royalty, celebrities and enthusiasts. Rolls-Royce 17EX A Fabulous Destiny is about the raison d'être of this car with Indian provenance, the 'making of' it and the fabulous destiny that awaited it.

This magnificent book is a complete study of India’s automotive elite – the maharajas who so many exotic and exclusive cars from British, European and American car makers, mainly before independence in 1947. The coverage contains over 500 images which were shots over 3 years of span.

My task was to travel and shoot all the prestigious cars owned by the maharajas in outdoors and a studio environment all over India.

This book was published in 2010 in French edition first by Haynes Publishing consisting of 383 pages and later was published in English and German. There were about 3000 copies printed in French and 3500 copies printed in English.

It is quite a light read, about India's automotive past and present, with a very positive look at the future too. It’s all about the very first cars that came to India; the early beginnings of the industry; the nascent history of the automobile across nations.

This coffee table book was commissioned by Apollo tyres in 2010. It documents the history of car design, how it has changed over the decades and the star designers who have played a significant role in influencing the world of design. I had the opportunity to contribute some of the photos in my stock library.

This coffee table book was commissioned by Mercedes-Benz India in 2010. It covers the history of Mercedes-Benz in India much before it had a plant set up in Pune, India.

This booklet was commissioned by Hyundai India 2015. It was a fun project where Hyundai gave us then newly launched Hyundai Creta to explore the Hindustan-Tibet road high in trans-Himalayas and the Great Rann of Kutch. And the highlight was arranging a photoshoot - with special permissions - at the India-Pakistan border. For me, this was one of the most memorable commissioned assignments.

This coffee table book was commissioned by Maruti Suzuki India in 2015. The brief was to show life on the Golden Quadrilateral, India’s first modern highway network. I aimed to highlight the life the highway gives, and how the connection between Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi makes these cities stronger and attracts life and sub-economies throughout the 5,846km.

I covered this whole route during the one-month commission, capturing the essence of India and its reliance on the highway for both road travel and the local economy.