A miniature car and bike creator from The Nilgiris

They may look like toys, but the miniature bike and car handcrafted by G Roshan from Udhagamandalam are fully functional

It was in 2015 that the then 12-year-old G Roshan first laid eyes on a custom vintage motorcycle at an auto show in Udhagamandalam. “The owner of the motorcycle didn’t let anyone near it, especially children. My interest in designing my own miniature motorcycles and cars stems from that particular incident,” says Roshan, a resident of Udhagamandalam.

Fast forward seven years, and Roshan and his father Gorakhnath, otherwise known as Kesavan, have designed a fully functional miniature car and a motorcycle using refurbished engines from scooters. “We used engines from scooters and built the bodywork for the two vehicles using a welding machine and a cutting machine,” says Roshan.

From the start of the design process to its completion, each vehicle crafted by Roshan, who is pursuing a Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering, took about four months. “We had no formal training in fabricating the parts. I learned it by trial and error, working for hours in our makeshift workshop,” he says. “I make these only to express my creativity, and it’s fun designing, manufacturing, building and finally painting these vehicles,” he adds.

Roshan and his family have always had an affinity for vintage collections of coins, stamps, cameras and also motorcycles and scooters. The family owns 15 vintage motorcycles all produced between 1946 and 1995. “My Yezdi Roadking and Yamaha RD 350 are my pride and joy,” he says, adding that he enjoys long bike rides.

The COVID-19 lockdown also prompted Roshan to take up modelling automobiles using Styrofoam by hand. Till date, he has produced around 15 scale models of iconic motorcycles, carts, cars and trucks. “The handmade scale models require even more effort than the miniature running vehicles. Every single piece needs a lot of work and patience. I have to cut the models out by hand, then make the parts like exhausts, wheels, tyres and other bits using bits of pipe, pens and other items I find around the house,” he says.

Each model can take up to two weeks to be crafted. “I then try my best to also paint the scale models as accurately as possible to match up to their real-life counterparts,” says Roshan, who credits his family for supporting his interest in automobiles while growing up.

Talking about his plans for the future, Roshan states that he wants to design alterations to superbikes that will allow people with disabilities the chance to ride them. “I’ve seen people on superbikes enjoying themselves, and it’s a privilege that many people with disabilities can’t enjoy. I’m currently working on designs that will allow them to hop on those bikes and experience the thrill and joy of riding such powerful motorcycles,” he says.