Cars of Rashtrapathi Bhavan - wheels for a nascent Nation / Republic

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by Irish

That seems to be Birla Mandir / Laxmi Narayan Temple near gole market and Rashtrapati Bhawan estate.

I thought so too initially, but the topography in the background? Plus, Mandir Marg should be more expansive, no? But you could be right.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Prabal

I thought so too initially, but the topography in the background? Plus, Mandir Marg should be more expansive, no? But you could be right.

There is the largest ridge (Buddha Jayanti Park) of Delhi right behind (not more than 500 mtrs away) the Birla Mandir. May be during those time, it would have been more closer.

The structure of the entry gate and the temple looks like Birla Mandir, though I am also not sure about it.


Cheers!
Irish

[travancore]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Now this is a treat.

Manfred from Austria writes in, sharing 3 super pictures of a Tatra, probably from the Czech embassy, around 1960 he assumes. He wants to know the location.

Can anyone identify the third? Could this be the same car now junking in Madras?

Great pictures! I do notice a "halo" around the car in the Delhi pictures - fog, mist, mirage, photoshop ?

[kasli]

Originally Posted by travancore

Great pictures! I do notice a "halo" around the car in the Delhi pictures - fog, mist, mirage, photoshop ?

Travancore I think it's and could be some clean up / photoshop / but the third image looks genuine due to extreme zoom on the rear glass points out to waviness like a funny glass . Difficult to photoshop and usually whitened by anyone

Cheers

[the mole]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Now this is a treat.

Manfred from Austria writes in, sharing 3 super pictures of a Tatra, probably from the Czech embassy, around 1960 he assumes. He wants to know the location.

The first two pictures are definitely Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi - no people visible is just a coincidence

Can anyone identify the third? Could this be the same car now junking in Madras?

All three cars are the same taken from a early colour camera, you did get similar effects.today we use instagram to get the same effects. Now i am pretty sure this is the same car that landed up in madras, i did do some major research on the madras car as i was quite intrested in possessing it. Whatever be :-)

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Now this is a treat.

Manfred from Austria writes in, sharing 3 super pictures of a Tatra, probably from the Czech embassy, around 1960 he assumes. He wants to know the location.

Some similar pictures of diplomatic Tatras from around the world can be seen here. A must see!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/beyon...ml#post2748212 (Historic photos of 'diplomatic' Tatras around the world)

[moralfibre]

I know this Mercedes doesn't belong to this section: Link. I couldn't find another thread to post this. (Ignore the reporters typo for Mercedes).

[Mohammed Jung]

Originally Posted by DKG

This would be a 300S originally owned by Raja Rameshwar Rao of Wanaparti near Hyderabad. Much smaller than the President's convertible

In an attempt to start this car after many years of disuse they broke the camshaft. It's a very original example of a 300S though.

Originally Posted by wasif

DKG.....the Wanaparti 300 is APY 10 which is in the picture below. It was in Indore at some time and last known to in Bangalore.

The Bhogilal 300 is not connected with Hyderabad as far as I know.

Yes, Wasif...This is Raja Rameshwar Rao's car which he brought back to India when he was the Indian High Commissioner to the Ivory Coast. Being a classmate of his daughter, I have sat in this car more than once, driven by Raja Sahib's driver Syed, who was a wonderful fellow....Syed always told us many old stories. Deepak (DKG) may remember him. I remember it was a six, with twin (stromberg?) carbs, a white steering and gear knob; and a telefunken radio ! I remember the car would raise itself from the rear when being braked..and was smooth as silk.

[wasif]

Originally Posted by Mohammed Jung

Yes, Wasif...This is Raja Rameshwar Rao's car which he brought back to India when he was the Indian High Commissioner to the Ivory Coast. Being a classmate of his daughter, I have sat in this car more than once, driven by Raja Sahib's driver Syed, who was a wonderful fellow....Syed always told us many old stories. Deepak (DKG) may remember him. I remember it was a six, with twin (stromberg?) carbs, a white steering and gear knob; and a telefunken radio ! I remember the car would raise itself from the rear when being braked..and was smooth as silk.

Must have been such an awesome car to be cruising on Tank Bund on...the wanaparty house was also such an amazing place ....best views of TB!

Mohammed Bhai .....please share interesting stories of other great cars you can remember from the old Hyderabad.

I am particularly curious to know what kind of cars were being yoused by the last few British Residents of Hyd or what used to be part of the Residency Fleet and what happened to these cars ?

[karlosdeville]

This lovely image appeared in The Hindu yesterday. Anyone has a clearer version? The car we know well, in a Poona collection proabably since the early 90s.

[travancore]

Technically not a Rashtrapathi Bhavan / State car, but surely wheels of a nascent nation.

Taken during the visit of Saudi King to Agra 1955. Does this Sheerline exist (maybe in the Army) ?

Is she wearing a CD plate ?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by travancore

Technically not a Rashtrapathi Bhavan / State car, but surely wheels of a nascent nation.

Taken during the visit of Saudi King to Agra 1955. Does this Sheerline exist (maybe in the Army) ?

Is she wearing a CD plate?

While there is one with the Army in Calcutta, it need not be the same car.

BMZ 7867 is a circa '49-ish Bombay plate, and a handful of these do still survive.

I believe when the King visited in '55, he gifted a few cars around as well, including a Cadillac to and still with Syedna, and a sister car still in Bombay.

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by travancore

Does this Sheerline exist (maybe in the Army)? Is she wearing a CD plate ?

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

While there is one with the Army in Calcutta, it need not be the same car.

They are NOT the same car!

The Austin Sheerline with the Army in Calcutta sports military number plates (Broad Arrow number plate), plus it's a standard saloon, while the BMZ-plated one in the pic here is a LWB limousine - so they are two different cars. You may read up about the Army car in Fort William, Calcutta maintained by the Eastern Command in my old post here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1210960

[canonball]

Originally Posted by travancore

Technically not a Rashtrapathi Bhavan / State car, but surely wheels of a nascent nation.

Taken during the visit of Saudi King to Agra 1955. Does this Sheerline exist (maybe in the Army) ?

Is she wearing a CD plate ?

Attachment 1158825

The reg number itself amply illustrates it to be a private individuals car. An Army car in India would not plausibly have this number combination, unless out of sheer coincidence which too is impossible in this specific case

[harit]

Originally Posted by canonball

The reg number itself amply illustrates it to be a private individuals car. An Army car in India would not plausibly have this number combination................

True, this is not a military car, just someones guess. It is a consulates car, not that of a private individual. All consulate cars had normal registration as civilian cars, but a separate tag "CD". This went on till the early 1960's. Later CC plates were issued, about a near similar time when cars had to be sold to STC.

BTW, Saudi gifted 3 1955 Caddy's, one to the Sayedna, one to a Pearl merchant, and one to the family of a photographer. All 3 cars survive.

Cheers harit