The 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost when delivered new to the Nizam looked like this
In 1936 in commemoration of 25 years of rule of the seventh Nizam a grand celebration was planned. Needless to say being the richest monarch and person on the planet he could have bought the entire Rolls Royce factory let alone a new car for the occasion. But being the frugal man he was he instead opted to have the above car refurbished at minimal expense. A princely sum of 500 dollars was sanctioned for the renovation after much persuasion. The car was sent to the Railway garage and apart from a reskin of its sides, received a "shortening" of the bonnet with a longer cowl and smaller wheels. The front and rear fenders were replaced with "modern" iterations. The changes to this magnificent car to say the least at ghastly. However, these changes are in line with the preparations for a historic event in Hyderabad, the Silver Jubillee celebrations.
Legend has it that on the Nizam's return once from a trip to Delhi he was received at the Nampally station in the Rolls. The crowd was so large that it was impossible to drive and the car ended up being pushed all the way to the palace.
Given the special occasions on which such a ceremonial car would be used it is not surprising that in 96 years of its existence this car has done only 356 miles!!!
