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-   -   How rich were the Maharajas before Independence! Cars of the Maharajas (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/pre-war/2653-how-rich-were-maharajas-before-independence-cars-maharajas-67.html)

Advert about the upholstery done for HH Porbandar

Gentlemen,
I have placed this photo here as I feel the car in question would have once had a Maharaja connection.
I am happy to be told that I am wrong and ask our wonderful mods to move it to wherever they deem appropriate if so. I would ask, however, that someone tells me please if it gets moved.
The photo was taken by a friend of a friend who is now an old man in the UK and is only contactable by snail mail or fixed line telephone. The best he can do is say he took the photo in the 1970s in London. He has not said what the, obviously, special event was. Indeed I suspect we will learn little more of this photo from him. I have asked my friend to try to get a bigger picture next time he visits Terry as someone has digitized many of his negatives.
I would be most interested to read what people think we have a photo of. From my registration point of view, I believe it to be a 1956-73 Madhya Pradesh number but sadly, MPF does not appear on my list of registration districts.
Cheers and with thanks
Cedric

Dear Cedric,

MPF-1237 is indeed an ex-Maharaja car as you guessed.

To be precise, ex-Chhota Udepur State, RR Phantom I, Hooper Tourer, Chassis 15YC.

The car survives (in Belgium ?). In 2007, it wore the registration CFZ-522 (do not know if the registration is Belgian!)

Many thanks for that Travancore.
CFZ-522 could certainly be a Belgian number (red on white).
Cheers
Cedric

Sweet pic - thank you for sharing! Looks very much a Madhya Pradesh number to me.

If I recall correctly, MPJ was Jabalpur, and MPE was either Bhopal or Indore.

Here is 15YC, courtesy RREC



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and here is the car during its Sanghi ownership, posted earlier (courtesy faster789)

Travancore,
That is indeed a Belgian plate on the car. Great to see the car as she once was from the front also.
Many thanks to you and faster789
Cheers
Cedric

courtesy: Indian Royal Families



The Idar fleet - looks like a Cadillac, Daimler and Lancia in the front row.

A Patiala Lancia, in 1933

Karl is right, it could be a 1958. This is the last of the 300 "Adenauer" series and bore the official nomenclature of 300 "d". 1958 was its first year of manufacture.

The "d" in this case did not denote diesel as was usually the practice with Mercedes. It just happened to be the 4th series in the line of 300 sedans. Unlike the 300 "a", 300 "b", & 300 "c", which had identical bodies, the 300 "d" was a totally fresh body and very different looking, not least because it had no B pillar. It also gained the 3 litre fuel injected engine from the mighty 300SL.

As Karl has said, automatics existed in some form or another probably since the advent of the motorcar itself. The "AUTOMATIC" badge on the boot of the 300 is genuine; the 300 "d" had automatic transmission as standard, not an option!

One of the Patiala cars for Sale at Bonhams this year

A wonderful Maybach 1933 DS-8 Zeppelin Cabriolet

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23234/lot/48/

Cheers

Too bad that the car has been rebodied and is now LHD! Hope they preserved the original body.

In this retro images picture, Prince Shiv of Palitana can be seen with his friend Jane Buckingham in London, interestingly the car is in London but wears Palitana number plate.

Outstanding! Car is probably a Ford Thunderbird?

Yes, the car is a Thunderbird.

Above is the press release accompanying that photograph (courtesy: Keystone)