On the Gunfoundry stretch near Abids, a row of red open-top wedding cars has been part of Hyderabad’s streets for more than six decades. Parked along the roadside beneath the trees, these vehicles have quietly witnessed generations of weddings, baraats and family celebrations in the city.

Among the few people still continuing this tradition is Md. Raheem, whose family has been in the business for decades.

“These cars are not just vehicles for us,” he says. “They are connected to people’s happiest memories.”

The lineup includes modified sedans from different eras — Hindustan Contessas, Nissan Bluebirds, Sonatas and Hyundai Elantras — converted into open-top wedding cars over the years. Beside them stand white vintage-style wedding buggies with red interiors and chrome detailing, designed to resemble old royal carriages.

Before luxury cars became common at weddings, these vehicles were considered the grand wedding entry. A groom standing in the open-top car while relatives danced around him was once a familiar sight across Hyderabad.

“In the 1980s and 1990s, this business was at its peak,” Raheem recalls. “During the wedding season, the cars would go from one booking directly to another. There was hardly any break.”

Most of the cars are painted bright red, a colour long associated with weddings and celebrations. Even today, the vehicles continue to attract attention from people passing through the area.

“Older people still stop and talk to us,” he says. “Many tell me they came in a car like this for their own wedding. Some even bring their children and grandchildren just to show them these vehicles.”

Over the years, wedding trends changed. Luxury sedans, SUVs and other modern options slowly replaced many traditional wedding cars, and several operators left the trade. Maintaining the old customised vehicles also became more expensive and difficult with time.

But a few families at Gunfoundry, including Raheem’s, chose to continue.

“People may prefer newer cars now, but these cars have their own place in Hyderabad,” he says. “They have carried families, music, dancing and celebrations through the city for years.”

For Raheem, the business is no longer just about renting vehicles. It is about preserving a part of Hyderabad’s social and street culture that many people still feel emotionally connected to.

And amid the changing roads and traffic of the city, the red wedding cars of Gunfoundry continue to wait by the roadside — ready for the next baraat.