[wasif]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I came across some real rarities (online), the Benaras cars on display.

Cadillac
Attachment 216643

1956/57 Plymouth Savoy
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1936/37 Dodge (?)
Attachment 216645

1947/48 Buick Super 8
Attachment 216646

1947 (?) Ford, possibly a van/light bus.
Attachment 216647

The jewel in the crown, 1917 (as the plate says) Minerva
Attachment 216648

Varanasi - a set on Flickr

Hey Karl.

What is the story behind these Benaras State Cars, why are they in such a bad state going by the fact that they look like they are well garaged ?

Are they still with te Royal Family or have they since mooved on.
Please do try to get details on that Minerva also

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by wasif

Hey Karl.

What is the story behind these Benaras State Cars, why are they in such a bad state going by the fact that they look like they are well garaged ?

Are they still with te Royal Family or have they since mooved on.
Please do try to get details on that Minerva also

I have no more details than what I posted, which I came across online. They probably still belong to the family/some trust, since they are on display. I remember a Rolls or two being gifted to the BHU (Benaras Hindu University).

[issigonis]

Do we have any team bhpians in Banaras who might be able to dig out more info. on the Raja of Banaras's cars? The Minerva is certainly the most interesting of that bunch.

Any updates on the auction of the Nawab of Bahawalpur's Bentley?

Regards

[karlosdeville]

For sake of continuity, here is a photo of a Barker Tourer, ex Benaras (as is the other, I assume), as yet unidentified, taken from the forum itself.

[Star man]

This is a 1939 Ford Van ,also known as a Woody. When My Dad was in the Army after WW2 the New Zealand Army had dozens of them. Today none are left.
Mostly because the wooden bodies didn't last long in NZ's wet climate.
A '40 standard can be differentiated from a 1939 deluxe by the little chrome badges on the bottom on the bonnet. The 1940 standard had a large diecast peice on the nose of the bonnet. A very rare car but the wood bits are available new in the USA.

[karlosdeville]

A superb old image of the famed Alwar Lanchester attending a rally in Delhi, courtesy magnumphotos.



Some video stills of a Jaipur/Jodhpur wedding from here

Royal Ceremonies on Vimeo

And some more images from ethnologia.com

[karlosdeville]

I came across this picture of a V8 Caddy, reportedly built for hunting in India. No confirmation!



Cadillac Shooting Brake on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[karlosdeville]

This month's issue of Auto India carries 2 interesting stories, one of which is a feature on the Invicta Black Prince in Bombay, written by Behram Ardeshir.

It mentions that the car was built on May 30, 1948 for Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar of Mysore, bodied by Airflow Streamlines of Northhampton. Originally 2 tone racing green with grey conolly upholstry and dark green leather hood. The car was sold in May 52 to a Gondal prince, transported to Pune by rail and then driven to Bombay. It was registered 'GONDAL 25'. In 61 it was sold to one Frederick Vickery, who then sold it to the present owners.

This issue also has 2 insightful letters to the editor regarding the vintage car scene, one by our own Harit.

[manishalive]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

This month's issue of Auto India carries 2 interesting stories, one of which is a feature on the Invicta Black Prince in Bombay, written by Behram Ardeshir.

Read that story, and then Zigwheels has a story on the 1928 RR Phantom 1 of Maharaja Hari Singh Bahadur up for Auction by RM.

[wasif]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I came across this picture of a V8 Caddy, reportedly built for hunting in India. No confirmation!

Attachment 225939

Cadillac Shooting Brake on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It is unlikely Karl as the car appears to be a LHD.

Now in those days when one ordered a car it would be delivered in RHD.

[wildsdi5530]

Pity our politicians are so wary of throwing money around like the Maharajahs of yesteryears. I remember Jayalalitha being rammed for the extravagance of her foster son's wedding a few years back. Imagine Laloo in a Rolls showroom asking for the latest models to shift bhains dung.

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by wasif

I mixed the pictures up. This is one of the two V16 Caddies from Bhawalpur. The other one is in a much worse state with the body almost collapsed.

Wasif are you sure that there were two car's in the Bhawalpur collection? Because according to Mohsin Ikram of VCCCP
"Hi Nigel!
No, the nawab only owned one V16. The pictures that you have attached are of the same car....
Regards
Mohsin " Sat, 23 February, 2008

The V16 and the mercedes benz (540 / 500) in the Bhawalpur collection has always been confusing.
I was interested in the V16 only because I had seen it as a kid when Sheikh Mukhtar owned it. I managed to find the old moto trend where they had an article on this V 16. Maybe i should scan it.
regards
Nigel

[karlosdeville]

This 1941 Ford Woody is a regular sight in rallies and displays in Delhi, being part of the Titus collection.

What I didn't know was that it came from the royal family of Ayodhya.

Forbes India - ... And This is my Car

[wasif]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Wasif are you sure that there were two car's in the Bhawalpur collection? Because according to Mohsin Ikram of VCCCP
"Hi Nigel!
No, the nawab only owned one V16. The pictures that you have attached are of the same car....
Regards
Mohsin " Sat, 23 February, 2008

The V16 and the mercedes benz (540 / 500) in the Bhawalpur collection has always been confusing.
I was interested in the V16 only because I had seen it as a kid when Sheikh Mukhtar owned it. I managed to find the old moto trend where they had an article on this V 16. Maybe i should scan it.
regards
Nigel

Nigel.

I will check on the Bhawalpur V16 Caddies and let you know if there were two or one. I have also only seen pictures of one but have heard that there were two. This was from the list published on the newspaper Dawn's website of the cars that were auctioned and those that were witheld due to ongoing litigations.

I had seen pictures of what is said to be a V16 in the Bhawalpur collection with the rear of the bodywork almost collapesed. Maybe these two are the same car.

Please do post pics of the V16 you mentioned that you had seen. The V16 with Sheik Mukhtar was the pinninfarina bodies car that used to belong to the Maharaja of Orchha and not the Bhawalpur car.

The Orchhas Cadillac is alive and well and lives in General William Lyons Collection in the states. This was the only such car with Pinninfarina coachwork.

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by wasif

Nigel.
Please do post pics of the V16 you mentioned that you had seen. The V16 with Sheik Mukhtar was the pinninfarina bodies car that used to belong to the Maharaja of Orchha and not the Bhawalpur car.

The Orchhas Cadillac is alive and well and lives in General William Lyons Collection in the states. This was the only such car with Pinninfarina coachwork.

Wasif, Yes this is the car I spoke about. My sentance was wrongly written, what I meant was I had interest in V16 caddies since I had seen the Orcha V16 in the late 60's. I should not have written the word "it". I will try and scan that particular car write up from the old motor trend. You will find some post on this particular car in the earlier pages of this thread.

And yes I too remember the Dawn webpage writeup and the photos of a good V16 and another bad collapsed bodywork
I had saved all this but lost the dara due to a hard disk crash. I did a lot a research into these too, but somehow nothing further came up and would you believe it I have forgotten a lot about this.
Regards