Supercars & Imports : Delhi

[-GS-]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

If I remember well, Jodhpur also had a Delahaye 135 MS with the famed Figoni et Falaschi coachwork and Cotal electric pre select gearbox. Looked similar to this, but in solid red bearing plates "Jodhpur 34", and partly exposed headlights.

For Peter Mullin, the search began in India , where he tracked down a Delahaye 135M with a body by the legendary coach builders, Figone e Falaschi. It had been in the private collection of the Maharaja of Jodhpur and was, when uncovered, in 1984, "pretty tired," a polite way of saying, a rusting ruin.
Since Mullin got the massive sedan back to the U.S. , in 1993, he has invested perhaps 1000 hours, and "a fair chunk" of money, into the Delahaye's restoration, bringing it up to the flawless condition expected of a car rolling onto the 18th green at the Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance.
"It's now back to the way it came out of Claude Figone's shop," 70 years ago, boasts Mullin, one of the country's better-known classic car collectors, and a regular among the elite of the field, found vying for Pebble's vaunted Best-in-Show trophy.

Link: Duesenberg “Meteor” Takes Pebble Beach - The Car Connection

[speedy]

karl like GS has pointed out the car had been exported. when we meet shall show you pictures of the actual car taken by me father.

[rednsx3]

This is a very beautiful car -

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

If I remember well, Jodhpur also had a Delahaye 135 MS with the famed Figoni et Falaschi coachwork and Cotal electric pre select gearbox. Looked similar to this, but in solid red bearing plates "Jodhpur 34", and partly exposed headlights.

[karlosdeville]

There have been at least 2 Delahayes taken out with F&F coachwork, but one still exits in Jodhpur. Im positive, it was even featured in a couple of Indian magazines a few years ago.

Heres is one that went out ages ago. Maybe the same one mentioned above. Before and after.







Theres a famous picture of a young Maharani Gayatri Devi posing with a similar car, perhaps its the same one, perhaps its the survivor in Jodhopur.

[-GS-]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Heres is one that went out ages ago. Maybe the same one mentioned above. Before and after.

Karl isn't this a 1939 type165 F&F coachwork?

[-GS-]

While we are at it, here is a picture from Petersen Automotive Museum.



1939 Delahaye Type 165 (red)
1948 Delahaye Type 135 MS (green)
1937 Delahaye Type 135 M(blue)

Seems the above pic posted by karl is 135M and not 165 like I said.

1947 Delahaye 135M F&F Cabriolet (Winner Chairman's Trophy, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 1999)

[speedy]

wow it looks like its raining delahaye's. i love the streamline design with the tyres partially being seen with the fenders wrapping themselves on it. a true peice of art. they just look like michealangilo and piccaso both have worked on them. the 1937 delahaye type 135 (blue) has taken my heart.

[awini]

Originally Posted by -GS-

Karl isn't this a 1939 type165 F&F coachwork?

no, its the mysore delahaye,a 135 ms .the 165 was a V12, these are 6cyl cars, the 165 also had a wind down dissapearing windshield.
the jodhpur delahaye 135ms (jodhpur 34)is very much still there,its the sister car to my lagonda(Jodhpur 7), apparently both were raced on the roads in and around jodhpur by the then maharaja and his brothers, the jodhpur delahaye was given away in exchange for a ford jeep.!!
the third 135 with maharani gayatri devi could very much have been one of these, but a post war 135 coupe with a chapron body did go out long ago, that too was a mysore car.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by awini

the jodhpur delahaye was given away in exchange for a ford jeep.!!

are you serious awini!! how could they exchange a delahaye for a jeep. i think these are rumours. your jokeing right.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by speedy

are you serious awini!! how could they exchange a delahaye for a jeep. i think these are rumours. your jokeing right.

He would not be joking for sure, you should also see his Lagonda some time.

[awini]

Originally Posted by speedy

are you serious awini!! how could they exchange a delahaye for a jeep. i think these are rumours. your jokeing right.

no jokes, in the early fifties, a ford jeep was worth more(in usefulness) than an old tempramental sports car lying in the garage with the other trash(read rolls-royce, bentley,packard,cadillac etc.)... the jeep could be (and was) used for shikar ,....besides, the exchange was within the family, rajput blood is much thicker than mere money.

[speedy]

i am still in shock, will take time to recover.
awini would love to see your lagonda. ishan has been praizeing it alot. if you do have the time i am just a hop skip and jump away from you. thanks

[speedy]

Originally Posted by awini

no jokes, in the early fifties, a ford jeep was worth more(in usefulness) than an old tempramental sports car lying in the garage with the other trash(read rolls-royce, bentley,packard,cadillac etc.)... the jeep could be (and was) used for shikar ,....besides, the exchange was within the family, rajput blood is much thicker than mere money.

i thought it was exchanged outside the family. it was a normal practice to exchange things withing the raj gharana. yes and they also believed in blood is thicker than water. i have a friend from the royal family whose grandfather had exchange a rolls for a tiffany standing clock. now the clock resides in mr bhogilals house.

[awini]

Originally Posted by speedy

i am still in shock, will take time to recover.
awini would love to see your lagonda. ishan has been praizeing it alot. if you do have the time i am just a hop skip and jump away from you. thanks

sure anytime, but it hasnt turned a wheel in more than two years now.
if you like such (true) stories,heres another, of which i know first hand. in about 1991-92 begum of bhopal exchanged her wonderful Jaguar XK 140 dhc for a maruti 1000!!! NOT esteem, but a bloody maruti 1000!!! the car was in delhi for some years and was sold to a calcutta collector some time back. it was old english white,now its black.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by awini

sure anytime, but it hasnt turned a wheel in more than two years now.
if you like such (true) stories,heres another, of which i know first hand. in about 1991-92 begum of bhopal exchanged her wonderful Jaguar XK 140 dhc for a maruti 1000!!! NOT esteem, but a bloody maruti 1000!!! the car was in delhi for some years and was sold to a calcutta collector some time back. it was old english white,now its black.

even if the lagonda was kept behind bars awini i would still love to see her.
i have heard of this one and i know who has the car too. my brother has pictures of it in original colour and the colour it is in now.
my father used to tell my brother and me alot of stories of the royal families when he would go to see their cars for my nana. one such story was he had gone to a royal house to see their collection and there was a dispute between two brothers over who was to drive a bentley. the father got fed up with the quarrel and asked my dad how much money do you have in your pocket. my dad said rs 2000 which was alot at that time(money was for my dad's travel, lodgeing, food and shopping). the father of the two boys took the money and gave my dad the bentley. he even filled a full tank and gave my dad.