Brands
The tenth edition of Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally 2023 is to be held on 3 December
Mumbai: Mercedes-Benz India and Autocar India are all set to celebrate the landmark tenth anniversary of the iconic Mercedes Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) on 3 December. First organised by Autocar India in 2014, the rally has grown to become one of the world’s premier automotive events and revived and encouraged interest in vintage and classic Mercedes in India. The event will be held at the Taj Lands End, in Mumbai, and the participating cars will roll elegantly from the prestigious hotel to Worli Sea Face and back. The rally will be flagged off by Adv. Ashish Shelar – president BJP Mumbai, MLA Vandre West, chief whip Bhartiya Janata Party.
Previous editions of the MBCCR have been lauded for bringing together the very best of classic Mercedes in India, and this milestone year, the organizers have turned the celebrations up a notch. Over 75 Mercedes-Benz cars spread across 72 different models will be on display with nearly 50 per cent of the cars making their debuts or participating after a comprehensive restoration process.
Among the star-studded lineup are classics such as the legendary 300SL roadster – the only one of its kind in the country – alongside every generation of the SL (including facelift variants). Expect to see a host of debutants across the board such as the ultra-luxurious Grand Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Grosser’. The iconic R129 SL, credited with kickstarting the Goa road trip culture with its appearance in 2001’s Dil Chahta Hai, is also expected to be among the vehicles on show.
“Ten years is a special landmark, and we’ve gone all out to put together a compelling show. While the MBCCR has created a vibrant community of vintage and classic car collectors, I’m especially enthused by the number of debutants at the rally. Their participation is evidence of a movement that has gathered momentum,” said Perseus Bandrawalla, who has been curating the rally since its inception.
As always, the MBCCR will see participation from across the country, and the participant list features some well-regarded names from the vintage and classic car collectors’ fraternity. These include publisher Viveck Goenka, industrialist Yohan Poonawala, His Himanshu Sinh of Gondal, Pratap Sinh Gaekwad, Behram Dubash, Abbas Jasdanwala, and the Bhogilal family collection other highlights at the MBCCR 2023 will include classic generations coupes, and limousines; automotive legends such as the Pagoda California Coupe and 220SE Cabriolet, and rare delights such as Adenauer models, the 500K, and the Nürburg.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
