Team-BHP - Pranlal Bhogilal Collection - Auto World - Dasthan - Kathwada

Interesting discussion on Pranlal and his cars. He bought many cars, was gifted many more, and recieved some in his capacity as the VCCCI president. Those were cars donated to the club and not an individual. Sadly, many who donated their family cars to the club died regretting their decision as the cars were neither transferred to the name of the club, nor were they displayed in the VCCCI museum as promised. i WONDER WHAT THE FATE OF THOSE CARS IS?

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Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 2822895)

Can you name a few of theses cars that were donats ? Maybe then they can be traced and we can understand who was the beneficiary of these noble donations !

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Originally Posted by wasif (Post 2821616)

The two Packards are indeed very similar but must be different cars ....its kind of hard to dispence with a cowl vent perfectly.

And the "Berar" car looks like it has chrome wheels and bonnet sides

I just noticed in the 1st and 3rd pictures that Harit had posted, the car does indeed have chromed wheels / spare and what looks like a faded polished aluminum / chrome bonnet.

In the side view, they have all mysteriously turned "painted aluminium"

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Originally Posted by travancore (Post 2821498)

Sorry for the back to back posts. Just dug out the "Berar" Packard posted before. They look awfully similar to me......except for some differences on the valance / running board and the missing cowl vent.

Attachment 947702

Attachment 947703

Wow! What a picture it is except for the loss of the poor striped cats.

Amazing and interseting packard pictures all around, and some good gyan on the automotive heritage of India. Glued :)

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Originally Posted by wasif (Post 2823581)

I believe it does survive in and may be shown at Pebble Beach this year in the Maharajah Class

I tend to agree with you Wasif. Just received a copy of the "Pebble Beach Insider" magazine. There is an article by / quoting John Fasal. Some of the cars featured are:

Berar Packard
"Swan Car" - ex Nabha
Rewa Daimler 45
and surprise - the Nawanagar Bugatti Type 46 (?) - with the lightning stripes
Jodhpur Vauxhall 30/98 Boattail (claims it is one of 3 supplied)

They wouldn't just feature these cars - however no specific mention that they are to be shown this year! And no entries list either.

Shall wait and see

Wasif, I am aware of a lanchester, MK5 jaguar, Morris minor/ hindustan, a two door studebaker stationwagon, etc having been donated to the VCCCI by owners now deceased.Where the cars are, now I do not know. They were handed over to Pranlal in his capacity as President for the museum. Now? No museum, No trace of the cars. In fact I wonder if VCCCI records have ever shown donated cars in their Assets register? Since Pranlal was the president till his demise, can someone speak to his family and get any info on VCCCI its activities, powers etc? Also not known to me at least, where all the donated material like books, shop manuals and lots of other stuff is ? I hope it is preserved and accessible to all and not only to VCCCI members? I am sure a lot of enthusiasts would welcome an oppurtunity to browse and increase their knowledge.

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Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 2824750)

Wasif, I am aware of a lanchester,......

I hope it is preserved and accessible to all and not only to VCCCI members? I am sure a lot of enthusiasts would welcome an oppurtunity to browse and increase their knowledge.

Well, there was also the 1927 or so Fiat water tender donated by RWITC, which I believe has rotted away, then there was a 1920's Dodge Brothers tourer BMW 2030 donated by a Poonawalla family from Pune, car was lying around in Ahmedabad and lost a lot of parts including the head.

Lots of paperwork, parts, magazines etc. which were donated were kept at Nanbhoy Mansion on PM Road, but that is none of our business, maybe it's only for the 20 or so people who are specially privileged hand picked members.

harit

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Originally Posted by Faster789 (Post 2821250)

.............Amongst the many things we talked about was the potential of him "returning" a particular car to a family that had sold it to him many years before. The car was lying unused and I think, much worse for wear than when it was sold to him. Obviously, the family was willing to pay the market value but he was unwilling to sell any of his collection he told me, saying the family could "always visit" the car whenever they wanted. I explained that they wanted to bring the car back to life and use it, not look at it as a museum piece, but it's sitting in D****n still. It hasn't moved in years being in the same place all three times I went. I would add, that I am not criticising him at all - the car (and cars) was/were his property and it was entirely his perogative to do what he wished with them..............

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Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 2824750)

I wonder if it's that Invicta that was wanted back by the family? Many were surprised when it changed ownership. Some folks sold their cars to him when they felt that they could not look after a certain car and felt that he was the right man. Dr. Mehta was my doctor who sold his Airflow to Pranlal, when I asked him about it this is what he had said.

I had heard that a few Parsi's gifted their cars to Pranlal, this was to Pranlal and not to the club. Club cars were kept by the current President, the Dodge Brothers, the Fiat truck etc. I was told that the Fiat truck was given to the club when it was scheduled to be auctioned off and Pranlal spoke to the RWITC management. Then the truck was donated, and it was kept in some factory in Goregaon, then had to be shifted, no idea where it is now.

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Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 2848481)

Many people were curious to know the fate of Pranlals cars post his departure. I am told that they will soon be given one by one to a restorer to be spruced up. I believe the first car may well be a 20/ 25 Rolls, if I am not mistaken, GTK 41. Of course I am subject to correction. If memory serves me correct, this car is a tourer with a boatish rear end.

Hope the restorer dockets the cars as so many of them have never been opened also for reference for some of us. Are these all the cars or the ones for cartier as mentioned earlier

Cheers