Southall Petrolheads

[Premi5]

@MisterrSingh and @ipledgeblue and any other West Londoners...

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/zimmers-of-southall-documentary

Zimmers of Southall celebrates the classic BMW car scene within West London's Punjabi community

Inspired by a mutual love of classic BMWs and dub music, the Zimmers of Southall documentary explores London's multiculturalism through its car collectors. 

By Ciaran Thapar

18 February 2022

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Hark1karan

Life is becoming more digital and automatic, which makes many things easier. But it can also over complicate our decisions while glossing over the human fun of analog experience.

 

Cars epitomise this shift. Driving now compared to a generation ago is more smooth and automatic, the grip of the road responsive. But for many enthusiasts, too much electronic gadgetry distracts from the fundamentals. For decades, an appreciation for classic car models has thus strengthened across the globe. Every neighbourhood has its own subtle subculture.

Indy in a BMW E30 325i (1987) Manual.

 Hark1karan

 

 

“Too much technology is soulless,” says Inderdeep Ghatora, or Indy, who features in Zimmers of Southall, a new short documentary about classic BMW collectors in Southall, west London. “The classics are simple, they’re raw. They’ve got character.”

Zimmers is directed by community photographer Hark1karan and produced by Alex Donaldson of Alleycat Films. It provides an intimate snapshot of Southall’s proud Punjabi community via the lens of its car collectors, tapping into a rich local history of migration, intergenerational identity and British music culture.

Rav in a BMW E30 M3 (1983) Manual – modified with S62 e39 M5 4.9L V8 engine.

 Hark1karan

“We wanted to show what normal lads, especially Asian lads, get up to; to take away from certain stereotypes and give nuance to their lives,” says Hark1karan. “They’re skilled, they have a passion, and the car is a safe space for them to express themselves, along with the music.”

Amandeep (L) and Sunny (R).

Many Sikh and Punjabi men emigrating to the UK from industrial cities in north India and east Africa in the latter half of the 20th century brought with them a love for cars and mechanics. Meanwhile, the dub reggae of musicians in the Caribbean provided a soundtrack to multiculturalism across the ‘70s and ’80s in London and the West Midlands. Years later, the blasting of bass music from a BMW sound system remains part of local life, as the tracklist featured in Zimmers shows.

 

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“I didn’t realise how much everyone loved dub music. That became evident across the interviews,” says Hark1karan. “Every single person we spoke to said they played dub in their car.”

Jagmohan (L) and Jags (R) in a BMW E28.

Zimmers is shot entirely on VHS video cameras, giving it a nostalgic, '90s home video feel. It shows how, for the men who collect and care for them — namely Rav, Gags and Indy, who are three of hundreds across the country — classic cars have become an extension-of-self. They are a way to be seen, valued and feel stitched into a social fabric that has cushioned the balance of work and play for decades: speeding up-and-down Southall’s bustling Broadway, caught in traffic amongst its residential streets and A roads, migrating between gated-off double driveways, nighttime city cruises via the M25 and the hearty home comforts of the local desi pub.

Taran in a BMW E46 325Ci (2003) Manual.

 Hark1karan

“When you drive around here, you know the roads they’re parked on, you know their owners. It’s how people meet and socialise. People who drive past will know if I’m in the local shop because my car is parked outside,” Indy says. “And they might not even know me personally… but they’ll recognise my E30.”

At 34 years old, his cirrusblau metallic BMW E30 is older than he is. It’s kitted out with BBS RS wheels, Nardi wooden steering wheel, Alpina wooden gear knob, Smoked Hella front lights and air lift performance. Its original heated seats are still intact.

“Even in the winter it’s always roof down, heated seats on. Then you’re living,” he chuckles proudly. “People look at me like, what is this guy doing? But they don’t know… I’m warm!”

 

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[MisterrSingh]

I've never ever got on with these types of Punjabis. Not my scene at all.

[dallysingh101]

31 minutes ago, MisterrSingh said:

I've never ever got on with these types of Punjabis. 

Southallians, you're not the only one believe you me.....lol

[MisterrSingh]

9 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

Southallians, you're not the only one believe you me.....lol

It's not arrogance or anything remotely approaching it. It's like a complete lack of synergy when it comes to "mingling energies" without sounding like a total hippy.

[dallysingh101]

6 minutes ago, MisterrSingh said:

It's not arrogance or anything remotely approaching it. It's like a complete lack of synergy when it comes to "mingling energies" without sounding like a total hippy.

These guys are stuck in some backwards world of their own. All that close contact with others of a similar ilk makes it seem normal to them.  

They are like caricatures often.  

[Premi5]

51 minutes ago, MisterrSingh said:

I've never ever got on with these types of Punjabis. Not my scene at all.

Not 'your people' ?! 

lol

[MisterrSingh]

19 minutes ago, Premi5 said:

Not 'your people' ?! 

lol

You know what I mean, bro. Every Sikh is "my" person, but some (most) make it very difficult, lmao.