Team-BHP > Vintage Cars & Classics in India > Pre-War


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Old 23rd February 2008, 15:53   #1
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Hispano Suiza's in India

Hi all,
Awini and Stanher
Regarding the Daimler and Hispano , I think they are both still on hidden electric pumps due to the petrol gum problem maybe the petrol is better these days. Same dynamo.
Of course it’s the Nizam of Hyderabad. I must stop posting at 2 in the morning. Apologies in advance for all the errors I will be making. Ho Ho
How’s the Lagonda? Lovely car.
When I discovered this site I thought if I was to upload photos it would be better not to mention any owners names.
Great site, I wish I had found it before.
I wonder if these cars are still around?


1929 Hispano-Suiza H6C 8 Litre

1930 Hispano-Suiza H6C 8 Litre
(I might have the years mixed up, the engines are slightly different .I have all the engine numbers somewhere.


The Lanchester 40/50hp


Last edited by Rehaan : 26th February 2008 at 22:58. Reason: font tags removed
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Old 26th February 2008, 16:33   #2
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Hispano Suiza's in India

This thread is intended to document all the Hispano Suiza's that came to India. Would request anyone with information and pictures to post the same here. The objective is to create a record which is both enjoyable to read and view

Would request Julian to post the pictures of the Alwar Hispano with a note on the car and its history till date

Hope all would follow the forum's rules for posting pictures and owner details.
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Old 26th February 2008, 19:47   #3
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1927 Hispano-Suiza H6B 6 1/2 litre Torpedo tourer by Million Guiet

1927 Hispano-Suiza H6B 6 1/2 litre Torpedo tourer by Million Guiet
1927 Hispano-Suiza H6B 6 1/2 litre Torpedo tourer by Million Guiet
1929 Hispano-Suiza H6C 8 Litre

1930 Hispano-Suiza H6C 8 Litre

1929 Hispano-Suiza H6C 8 litre




No further details available at present.

Last edited by Rehaan : 26th February 2008 at 22:59. Reason: font tags removed
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Old 26th February 2008, 22:41   #4
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Julian

Please also enlighten us on the special characteristics of each of these cars. Interesting mechanical systems etc. Any thing you felt was special and deserves mention. I am hoping others too will join in with interesting facts and figures about these most amazing automobiles.

Also some of the owners were just about as interesting as their cars. I am told the Maharajah of Alwar was a very strict vegetarian so all his cars were ordered without leather upholstery, only fabric. I believe there were instructions that even the leaf spring covers, normally leather, had to be a substitute.
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Old 26th February 2008, 23:01   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DKG View Post
Also some of the owners were just about as interesting as their cars. I am told the Maharajah of Alwar was a very strict vegetarian so all his cars were ordered without leather upholstery, only fabric. I believe there were instructions that even the leaf spring covers, normally leather, had to be a substitute.
Ive heard the exact same story, but with Travancore. I do hope we can sort out all these legends over time.
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Old 27th February 2008, 00:04   #6
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About Hispano-Suiza H6B 6 1/2 litre and C 8 litre
Froma mechanics point of view they are a nightmare
They frequently crack their crankshafts (the dynamo is driven by a spring steel coupling ahead of the crank and serves as a crude balancer to dampen the fatal 6 cylinder crank vibrations but not very well) The aluminium cylinder blocks corrode internally very badly. These 2 factors are the biggest problems. Beautifully made cars and very elegantly designed. Also very advanced Over Head Camshaft shaft driven at a time when RR were using crude side valves and with a mechanical brake servo (which was licenced to Rolls Royce to use).
The H6B I restored needed, New crank, white metal bearings, (a nightmare to line bore as the lower half of the main bearings are part of the sump so it had to be line bored blind) new pistons, rings, rebore, new valves, new clutch pressure plate and linings, gearbox bearings, differential bearings and wheel bearings. 1 aluminium brake drum cast around a steel liner. They have twin distributors firing 2 plugs per cylinder and 2 batterys for use one at a time. The H6Cs in the photos had an extra dynamo to cope with the hunting lights.
More anon

You can watch Hispanos in action here:



Hispano Suiza 1924 Tulipwood Torpedo

Julian
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Old 27th February 2008, 00:20   #7
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i have heard of a hispano in coimbatore, a couple in punjab of which i have seen pics from the eighties, then there are hispanos in the mallya and bhogilal collections, and i have heard rumors of an early 4 cylinder hispano.
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Old 27th February 2008, 09:29   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by awini View Post
i have heard of a hispano in coimbatore, a couple in punjab of which i have seen pics from the eighties, then there are hispanos in the mallya and bhogilal collections, and i have heard rumors of an early 4 cylinder hispano.
Any chances of getting pictures here for the record and details of chassis numbers and special coachwork etc?
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Old 27th February 2008, 09:35   #9
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Julian

Its a delight to hear all the details from you. I'm glad you are able to share with us your experiences with these magnificent automobiles.

There are so many fine people in India with an unbelievable history of exposure to some of the most amazing automobiles the world has produced. Sadly a great many stories go into the grave untold. I strongly feel that all of it must be shared so that somewhere, someone will draw inspiration and enjoyment from it.

Great work Sir!!! I really appreciate your sharing info here
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Old 27th February 2008, 17:22   #10
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if i remember right bhogilal collection has a green one
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Old 27th February 2008, 21:15   #11
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Vintage Car Museum near Ahmedabad.

Quote:
DKG : I am told the Maharajah of Alwar was a very strict vegetarian so all his cars were ordered without leather upholstery, only fabric. I believe there were instructions that even the leaf spring covers, normally leather, had to be a substitute.
Wish I had read this thread a few hours earlier. There's a Suiza at the Vintage Car Museuem, Kathwada, which is about 12-15 km from the Ahmedabad airport towards the AMD-Baroda expressway. Had a quick visit today - and the Suiza of the Maharaja of Alwar could be the same one I saw there today.

The museum has about 75 cars, and 3 motorcyles, including an Indian. The other two didnt have any lables. Packard, Chevy's, Dodges, Rolls-Royce, Mors, Minerva, Buick Eights, a 1908 Ford -T, .. even a Bedford equipped with a Chest X-Ray set-up.

There were a few horse-drawn carriages / tonga's too.

While the cars were roped away so one was out of hand's reach of these beauties, they were open to the sun & atmosphere. The protection provided is a roof above, but this doesnt keep the moisture in the air away from these delicate pieces of history.

Apparantly, the cars are taken out for a small drive inside the premises every fortnight. The only information posted in front of each car was the Make, Year and couple of other small details. No technical information atall. The boards & some cars also sported names of locations like Alwar, Jodhpur, Kuwait etc - possibly showing where they were bought from.

Sorry folks, pics were not allowed.
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Old 27th February 2008, 23:48   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by condor View Post
Wish I had read this thread a few hours earlier. There's a Suiza at the Vintage Car Museuem, Kathwada.
Sorry folks, pics were not allowed.
You can read more on the museum and see pics of the Suiza here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...a-gujarat.html
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Old 28th February 2008, 08:41   #13
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Thanks, Karlos. I have heard of the Pranlal Bhogilal collection, but No where in the museum is his name mentioned. The couple of employees I could see there didn't seem to have an idea of the owner's name.

Last edited by condor : 28th February 2008 at 08:44.
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Old 2nd March 2008, 13:41   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julian UK View Post
About Hispano-Suiza H6B 6 1/2 litre and C 8 litre
From a mechanics point of view they are a nightmare.....
The H6B I restored ....Julian


This is the same Hispano-Suiza H6B (USJ 2522) in the late 1960s in Lucknow. It was grey with black fenders then and used to career around town (a much smaller and prettier town then) with a perforated silencer. It was seen off and on with its engine cowl open, and a hapless mechanic peering into its bowels - as in this picture. The double Hispano Suiza insignia on the radiator grille is not one I have seen anywhere else and has disappeared from the pictures of USJ 2522 uploaded by Julian.
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Old 2nd March 2008, 18:37   #15
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Thanks for uploading this interesting photo.
If I remember one of the scripts was obviously locally made. You can see the twisted, stretched off side front fender, (it had to be shrunk and cut and shut to bring it back into alignment). Also it had a badly made mild steel rear brake drumout of line with a 1/2 inch of brake shoes visible!!! Had to have an aluminium one cast around a steel liner. (Buy the ingots yourself from Fry’s metals otherwise they’ll use melted down rubbish mixed in). Also the off side differential tube was bent causing the half shaft to fight with the wheel and diff bearings all of which were replaced and the tube straightened. It seems to have suffered some major off side damage in the past.

New Brake drum.


New driven clutch plate and new pressure plate. Old ones at the rear.


While on the Hispano-Suiza page here are 2 photos of the two different types of H6C 8 litre gearboxes, the rear portion housing the worm drive for the mechanical brake servo (which Rolls Royce used under licence and redesigned). This one shows the later external fabric prop shaft coupling:



And this one has the earlier internal coupling as in the H6B
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