How rich were the Maharajas before Independence! Cars of the Maharajas

[1orren1]

The 'IDAR' Farman is absolutely amazing & is apparently the only one in private hands of the last remaining 4.

The colour scheme is brilliant and the number plate 'IDAR 1' really looks royal.

It should last for quite a while since the last owner had a complete ground up restoration done on it before his death.

What a bygone era, the 1920's & 30's...

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by 1orren1

What a bygone era, the 1920's & 30's...

That car dates to 1919 actually. Looks 15 years younger. This month's Auto India has a nice feature on it.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

This month's Auto India has a nice feature on it.

Courtesy of Gautam Sen coming back to them?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Courtesy of Gautam Sen coming back to them?

But of course. I expect to see much more of the like, and of course, Retromobile, his favorite.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

That car dates to 1919 actually. Looks 15 years younger. This month's Auto India has a nice feature on it.

Would someone please post the actual name of the magazine (The Indian Auto Journal ?) and month that the Idar article is in ? I am trying to get someone in India to buy it for me . Thanks!

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by travancore

Would someone please post the actual name of the magazine (The Indian Auto Journal ?) and month that the Idar article is in ? I am trying to get someone in India to buy it for me . Thanks!

Like I said, it is in this months "Auto India" magazine. Would you like me to pick one up for you?

[travancore]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Like I said, it is in this months "Auto India" magazine. Would you like me to pick one up for you?

Wow karlosdeville! That was a very magnanimous offer - my brother who is visiting India, hopefully will!

I did search the web to find the mag / article - hence the original request. Thanks again for offering!!!

For those of you who have seen it - any period pictures or confirmation that the Weymann bodied India Duesenberg (Black Limo / Towncar) I had posted in the Duesenberg Thread was indeed Idar's ?

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Cruise Control

The Farman A6B of The Royal Family of IDAR

Here is a period picture of maybe the same car after it went to Karauli. Notice slight differences in the windshield header, running boards and white vs black steering wheel.
(source unknown)

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by travancore

Here is a period picture of maybe the same car after it went to Karauli. Notice slight differences in the windshield header, running boards and white vs black steering wheel.

Incidentally this picture is also featured in the article. Will send you a scan later.

[Julian UK]

An interesting photograph 1911
Motor Garage [Rampur]

[awini]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

An interesting photograph 1911
Motor Garage [Rampur]

nice photo, the cars are: (subject to correction by those who know better) Albion? Lachester, Rolls Royce, Brasier?, Mors?

[travancore]

Originally Posted by awini

according to the current maharaja of Orchha,HH Madhugar Shah, who remembers this car clear as day. this was never designed for hunting tigers, thats just a myth!! and it was never buried or even close to it... and one of the hubcaps still survives in the orchha garages...
this is one of the several V16s that made it to princely India..

The Orchha Cadillac V-16 by Pininfarina.....must be one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Since I can't afford the real one, thought I will build my own!

So here goes
Orchha Cadillac V-16 by Pinin Farina (yes that is how it was originally spelt!).
And yes, I did indulge in some "poetic licence" , like moving the side mounted spares a little farther forward than the original; and deleting the mud flaps!
(1/25 scale converted from a Jo-Han 4 Door Phaeton)



and the real one for comparison (source:Pininfarina)



and back to 1/25 scale

[travancore]

Originally Posted by travancore

The Orchha Cadillac V-16 by Pininfarina.....must be one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Since I can't afford the real one, thought I will build my own!

So here goes
Orchha Cadillac V-16 by Pinin Farina (yes that is how it was originally spelt!).
And yes, I did indulge in some "poetic licence" , like moving the side mounted spares a little farther forward than the original; and deleting the mud flaps!
(1/25 scale converted from a Jo-Han 4 Door Phaeton)

Here are some "period" photos of my car(s)!

Orchha Cadillac V-16



Rajkot Rolls Royce P-II

[travancore]

Attached are two interesting photographs (courtesy of TopFoto.uk)

Mahatma Gandhi with the Raja of Kalakankar (circa 1929) Buick ?


Cadillac under Amber gate, Jaipur

[travancore]

"The Automobiles of the Maharajas" (page 285) mentions that Yeshwantrao Holkar owned 3 Alfa Romeos.

The following pictures are courtesy of www.conceptcarz.com

Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Superleggera by Touring, 1938 (attributed to Indore / Holkar)

This car bears an "HSC" (Holkar State Car ?) licence plates which also shows up on many period pictures of the Holkar cars.








Here is the second car also attributed to Holkar (also 1938; 8C-2900B). This car has a slightly different instrument panel setup (more instruments to right of steering column); and different rear wheel spat covers, in addition to colour. Hence could be a different car from the above.







The third of the Holkar Alfa Romeos maybe a 1935 Gurney-Nutting Coupe mentioned on page 245 of "Automobiles of the Maharajas"