Yusuffali vows to treasure vintage Benz gifted by late king Marthanda Varma

Yusuffali and Benz
Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma posing before the Mercedes Benz. LuLu Group Managing Director MA Yusuffali.

Industrialist MA Yusuffali has vowed to treasure the vintage car -- offered as a gift by the Thiruvananthapuram royal family -- as a mark of respect for its late king Uthradam Thirunnal Marthanda Varma, with whom he held a cordial relationship.

Yusuffali has said he will display the 1955 model Mercedes Benz (180 T) in the state capital for public viewing.

"I had immense respect toward King Uthradam Thirunnal Marthanda Varma," Yusuffali told Manorama Online.

"Whenever he visited Abu Dhabi, I used to pay a visit. Many times he came to my house. We spoke about people's welfare," said Yusuffali, the Chairman and Managing Director of Lulu Group.

The royal family's decision to gift its prized possession to the billionaire is a reflection of the camaraderie that existed between Yusuffali and the late king.

During one of his visits to Abu Dhabi, the king invited Yusuffali to his palace. The industrialist met his friend at the Kowdiar Palace in 2012. It was then that Marthanda Varma expressed his wish to present Yusuffali the car with the famous number -- CAN 42.

The car, currently owned by Marthanda Varma's son Padmanabha Varma and the Sri Uthradam Thirunnal Marthanda Varma Foundation, is at the Kowdiar Palace.

Revisiting his friendship with the late king, Yusuffli said: "Once when he visited Abu Dhabi I had given him a memento. After his passing when I visited the grieving family in Thiruvananthapuram, the king's son showed me the memento that was specially displayed. He had a big heart."

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