Jaguar XK120/140/150 in India

[Chhayanat]

Originally Posted by awini

i have seen the car parked in their porch many times, and also in use, because it used to be pointed out to me by my father, we used to stay a few houses away, and could it be that the yellow car you saw was our karmann-ghia?

It could well have been your Karmann-Ghia. There used to be a tarpaulin-covered sports car on 2A Curzon Road: this might have been the XK120.

[John Elmgreen]

Wow! You guys are truly fantastic. Thank you so much for your interest and your replies. Let me tell you a little more what this is about: I live in Sydney, Australia, and in the 1980s, I wrote with Terry McGrath from Perth, Western Australia, a book called The Jaguar XK in Australia. We sold all 1000 copies within 12 months. It contained all the known histories of every XK we knew about in Australia, plus limited sections on NZ, Asia. For years, we have been asked to bring out a new edition. In the meantime, I started to collect information re XKs worldwide, and started the XK-Lovers email list. We then collected a lot of info re XKs in New Zealand, then South Africa, then we had to add South America so we could call the new book The Jaguar XK in the Southern Hemisphere. Our geography is bad, so all of Asia is included - India especially of course. Oh yes, plus the Middle East. The book is near finished, give it a few months, I have a fulltime office job. In fact, there will have to be 3 books (120, 140, 150). 120 is first of course. India has not been easy to obtain information about, until you guys came along! I will later post details of all the XKs sold new in India (I have been visiting the archives in Browns Lane now for more than 30 years) and see what we can match up with what. I will also post a few notes about the Jaguar distributors, which you may be able to help me on. - John

[John Elmgreen]

Here are details of all XKs sold new in India. All contributions welcome as to their histories and where they are now! Colours are body, trim and hood, date is factory despatch date, HD means delivered directly from the works to the buyer in UK, to the order of the Indian distributor - John Elmgreen
XK120 OTS Alloy
Pearey Lal, New Delhi
660013, Pastel Blue, Duo Blue, nr, Dec 49, seems to be the electric blue car from Delhi regd DLB3534, owned by the Estate of the Late S. Rajdev Singh.

Garware Motors, Bombay
660029, Silver, Red, Gunmetal, Jan 50 HD, First owner: Noshir N. Saher, fate unknown


XK120 OTS rhd:
Garware Motors, Bombay
660060, Silver, Duo Blue, Gunmetal, May 50, nothing known
660061, Black, Biscuit & Red, Black, Jun 50, nothing known
660070, Black, Biscuit & Red, Black, May 50, nothing known
660071, Cream, Biscuit & Pigskin, nr, Jun 50, nothing known
660125, Silver, Red, French Grey, Jul 50 HD, first owner P.B. Banaji, raced in Bombay apparently, now Rajiv Kehr, restored
660728, Pastel Blue, Duo Blue, Black, May 51, nothing known
660798, Black, Biscuit & Red, Black, Jun 51 HD, nothing known
660859, Battleship Grey, Red, Black, Sep 51 HD, in about 1980 sent back to the UK, fitted with a 140 head, still survives
Maharajah of Jaipur: 660177, Cream, Biscuit & Red, Fawn, Dec 50, pictured with Gayatri Devi in a 1984 magazine, do they still own it?
Reliance, Madras660284, Cream, Biscuit & Red, Sand, Nov 50, delivered from works, nothing more known
Pearey Lal, New Delhi
660361, Pastel Blue, Duo Blue, Fawn, Dec 50 HD, first owner James Brown Braid, Albemarle Terrace, Scotland, nothing further known
660940, Birch Grey, Red, French Grey, Mar 52, nothing known
Nawaab of Bhopal
660852, Cream, Biscuit & Red, Sand, Aug 51 HD, nothing known
French Motor Co, Calcutta
660977, Suede Green, Suede Green, French Grey, May 52 HD, nothing known except that the car is in the UK.
XK120 OTS lhd:
Pearey Lal, New Delhi
670595, Cream, Biscuit & Tan, Fawn, Sep 50 HD, first owner Captain B.D. Thomas, nothing more known
Wallace Cartwright, Madras
672830, Silver, Duo Blue, French Grey, Sep 52 HD, first owner J. Elliott.
French Motor Car Co, Calcutta
673400, Lavender Grey, Duo Blue, Fawn, Jan 53, nothing known
XK120 DHC rhd:
Wallace Cartwright, Madras
667294, Black, Tan, Black, Oct 54 HD, first owner Mr W.S. Bannatine, back in UK by 1970s.

[DKG]

Drool city!! When cars were works of art

[DKG]

The Gondal 150's, one is being used in Bombay and the other in their museum in Gondal

[sat]

In Lucknow, there was an XK120 with the Raja of Bhinga (it was a light 1grey-green, somewhat like the shade the Tatas produced in the Indica).

I have a kodakchrome slide of Bhinga's red XK 120, pic was taken in 1966. Will check with the family if the colour was changed or if they have any information which could be of interest.

I believe Jamsaheb of Jamnagar had a red XK in Mumbai in the 60's.

sat

[DKG]

Originally Posted by John Elmgreen

Here are details of all XKs sold new in India. All contributions welcome as to their histories and where they are now!

Thanks John. I think all our friends here can help in obtaining chassis numbers and present owner info to complete this record

Apart from these some cars may have been imported used?

[John Elmgreen]

Have some XKs been imported into India as used cars? I believe so, but I can provide no details as I have no chassis numbers for them, and I therefore cannot tell whether a particular car in India was sold new there or not.
Here are a couple of more cars:
- XK120 OTS rhd, possibly white, abdandoned with an Austin Healey on the outskirts of Delhi and reported in UK magazine Classic and Sportscar, May 2003.
- XK120 OTS regd in India BMU2944, possibly white, Jan 1955 Garwares advised Jaguar that the car had won a race and 2 trophies, owned by Master Habib Husein who was too young to drive it, photographed with Peter Heilbron.
So that's about what I have.

[John Elmgreen]

Here are a few notes on Indian Jaguar distributors. I need only a small amount of information, but any interesting additions would be very welcome:
The French Motor Car Co does survive as listed company carrying on a motor engineering business in Kolkata.
Sanghi Bros also survives as the name of businesses in New Delhi, Jodhpur, and Indore, including as an importer of vehicles.
Pearey Lal survives as the name of businesses in New Delhi and elsewhere, and as well as some involvement in motor parts, seems to be involved in variety of other enterprises.
Garware Motors went public in 1981 and its line of business is now in plastics, as Garware Polyester, with no apparent motor trade links.
Reliance also appear to have survived in Chennai.

Simpson & Co was established way back in 1840 and for many years has been involved mainly in road transport, especially the manufacture of diesel engines.

Wallace Cartwright became part of a larger general trading (import/export) group.

[terry mcgrath]

jaguar lovers
it would appear that XK120 chassis number 660728 survives in the Jaipur area according to an english XK enthusiat who visited the area last autumn.
No photo at this stage

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by John Elmgreen

The French Motor Car Co does survive as listed company carrying on a motor engineering business in Kolkata.

Interestingly the same dealership eventually turned out to be dealers for Standard Motor co. in the 60s/70s.

[terry mcgrath]

660859 now in the UK

[Chhayanat]

Originally Posted by sat

I have a kodakchrome slide of Bhinga's red XK 120, pic was taken in 1966. Will check with the family if the colour was changed or if they have any information which could be of interest.
I believe Jamsaheb of Jamnagar had a red XK in Mumbai in the 60's.
sat

It would be nice to see a scan from the slide of the red Bhinga XK120. I met Bhinga in Lucknow about 3-4 years ago. It was a chance meeting but I did ask him about the Jaguar which was last seen in the 1960s. When I last saw the car, it was on a civilian aerodrome near a hangar with a damaged Czech Aero-45 powered by Walter engines inside but, the sight of two Dakotas taxi-ing out with the sunlight shining on the rivets, was something never to be forgotten. This was 1968. Having seen a powder-blue XK-120 from 1962 onwards, put matters in perspective but all the sights of the Continent and the UK cannot compensate: it was another world, and it was not invented.

[sat]

It would be nice to see a scan from the slide of the red Bhinga XK120

Chhayanat,

Will take some time, dont have a transparency scanner as yet... will look for a ektachrome tranny of 3 wakaner cars too.

Sat

[terry mcgrath]

Is anyone able to shed light on who Master Habib Husein is and where the picture was taken

Garware Motors Ltd., Bombay, advised Jaguar Cars in January 1955 that an XK120 had won a race and two trophies. The owner of the car was advised as Master Habib Husein but he appears to have been too young to have raced it. The photograph shows Peter Heilbron and Master Habib Husein,


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