What a vintage car club membership costs in India, city by city

You have just bought your first old car or bike in India, or you are about to. The next question is usually which club to join, and whether it is worth the money. The short answer: expect to pay anywhere from ₹2,000 for a year to ₹25,000 one time, and pick on the basis of what you need, paperwork help, roadside cover, or simply a magazine and a community.

The fees, as the clubs list them

The Heritage Motoring Club of India, the Delhi based national club, charges ₹10,000 as a one time payment for an associate membership for car owners and ₹5,000 for owners of vintage and classic two-wheelers. Both are for life, with no voting rights and no eligibility for club office. Life membership is ₹25,000 one time and is by invitation only, not by application. Corporate membership is ₹50,000 as registration plus ₹5,000 a year. Importantly for a first time buyer, HMCI says membership is open to anyone interested in automobiles and that owning a vehicle is not a requirement.

The Western India Automobile Association in Mumbai sits at the other end. Its online membership page lists individual ordinary membership at ₹2,000 and individual life membership at ₹10,000, with company versions at ₹5,000 and ₹15,000. Ordinary membership is open to a person of Indian origin residing in Mumbai, above 18, and runs for one year. One car is registered free for roadside services, a spouse can take associate membership for ₹500, and the life category covers two cars. Renewal for an ordinary individual is ₹885 for a year, with ₹354 for each additional car and ₹200 for the first two-wheeler.

What the money is actually buying

This is where the trade-off sits. The Vintage & Classic Car Club of India in Mumbai, founded in 1985 and with more than 500 members, says all owners of vintage and classic vehicles are eligible. Its homepage makes the claims that matter at an RTO counter: that it is "the only authorized club to pass fitness tests of vintage cars", that it is the only club offering a 50 per cent discount on third party motor insurance for vintage cars, and it points to a lifetime tax of only ₹500 on vintage cars. Those are the club's own statements, so confirm the current position with your RTO and insurer before you count on them. The club also says it helps members buy and restore cars, which is the quiet value of membership when you are hunting for a first car.

HMCI's listed benefits are different in kind: club publications, free advertising in the classifieds and access to the member directory. Useful if you are looking for parts and sellers, not useful at a fitness test.

Do not join a club only to get on a rally

One point many first time buyers miss. India's best known heritage rally, The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally, charges no entry fee. Its 55th Kolkata edition ran on 11 January 2026 at RCTC Polo Ground, Hastings, with pre-judging on 9 and 10 January, and the Delhi edition on 8 February 2026 from Statesman House on Barakhamba Road. Entries are split into vintage up to 1939, classic 1940 to 1956, post war 1940 to 1962, and an "others" class for cars at least 50 years old up to 1976, capped at 20 entries. That cap is the real constraint on a 1970s car, not a membership card.

Club shows are worth travelling to. At VCCCI's Vintage Car Fiesta in Mumbai from 24 to 26 January 2026, which Siasat reported drew more than 185 cars and around 50 two-wheelers, United Motoring Club Hyderabad and Moon Motorcycle Hyderabad took four prizes with two Nortons and three Royal Enfields. You do not need the most expensive membership to do that. You need a car or bike that is correct for its year.

Sources

• Heritage Motoring Club of India, membership categories and fees
• WIAA online membership fees
• WIAA individual membership terms
• VCCCI homepage, member benefits
• VCCCI about us
• The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally, Kolkata entry details
• Siasat: Hyderabad wins awards at Mumbai's VCCCI Vintage Car Fiesta 2026