The Commonwealth Games organisers are on a massive hunt these days. They need cars to ferry athletes and officials — 2,000 of them, big and small — and they are still not sure where they will come from.

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) has contacted automobile majors to sponsor these cars in lieu of the publicity they will get.

One auto major has already made a proposal and the OC is waiting for a response from two other companies.

“If all the athletes and officials expected to arrive for the Games land up, we will require about 2,000 cars,” said a senior OC official on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to talk to the media.

Finding adequate space for them to park is also an uphill task before the organisers, who are eyeing vacant land near hotels where the visitors will stay and also near the Games Village. But nothing has been finalised yet. “We have to finalise the plan latest by May,” he said.

The fleet of cars that will fight for road space will include sedans and more luxurious cars for VIPs like visiting heads of states. There will be limited number of super luxury, bulletproof cars for VVIPs. The ‘Commonwealth cars’, will have distinct colours and the Games logo.

“We had asked auto majors to come out with proposals. We can’t purchase so many cars so we want them to sponsor and later sell the cars through dealers,” he said.

“During the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Toyota had sponsored cars and later sold them as special edition Commonwealth cars”.

“Car manufacturers will receive free publicity and their cars will be allowed to be showcased in stadiums or could be given as prizes,” he said.

The cars will be allocated in two categories.

While some visiting officials will be given dedicated chauffeur-driven vehicles for personal use, others will be provided vehicles as and when required.