[agspins]

Hitler’s gift’ creates controversy in Nepal


TIMES NEWS NETWORK



Kathmandu: Though they reigned in different hemispheres, both Adolf Hitler and the royalty of Nepal remained mired in controversy.
The latest controversy that concerns both is a vintage car. Last week, Nepal’s official daily, the Gorkhapatra, reported that Hitler had gifted a 1939 Mercedes Benz to deposed king Gyanendra’s grandfather Tribhuvan.
However, an authority on the royal dynasty says the car was neither a Mercedes, nor a gift from the Nazi leader nor lying in the Narayanhity. Purushottam Jung Bahadur Rana, a scion of the Rana family of prime ministers, says Hitler ordered for two made-to-order Daimlers, which have no other editions in the whole world.
The German leader gifted the other to Judha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, the seventh Rana prime minister of Nepal. “The gifted Daimler went along with maharaja (Judha Shumsher) to India,” says Rana. “It is still in Dehra Dun in a dilapidated condition.”

Courtesy:TOI,18 june 08

Also found this newspiece regarding the car
Nepal puts Hitler's Mercedes gift on show - Asia, World - The Independent

Any body from dehradun having any idea......

[iceman7]

what a shame to let such a piece of machinery to rust into pieces.

can this beauty be resurrected?

[jacs]

Its heartbreaking to see the pathetic handling of era.

[rider60]

hitler's gift or not, the article says its one of the two exclusive models on earth, so if this vintage is restored would be an unique beauty right?

hope it is.

[Alvis]

Well it looks like a simple 320 saloon to me . (W 142)
From this picture in the article I doubt if it is a coachbuilt model, and as far as there being only two of these in the world, lets just leave it at that!!

Still it would be nice if a professional restorer was involved in the process of bringing it back to its former glory.

[Vitesse]

This story is all around the world now, yet nobody seems to have questioned the facts behind it. Three of many questions:

1 Why would Hitler present a car to the King of Nepal, a country which had been a British ally since the Gurkha Wars of 1814-16 and had declared its support for the Allies as early as September 1939?

2 The ruling house of Nepal was strongly pro-British, so why would they accept a gift from Hitler? In 1940 "The Times" records a number of gifts from Nepal to the Viceroy's War Purposes Fund, an increase in Gurkha forces, and even a gift of Rs 25000 (£1875) specifically for the relief of bombed-out families in London's East End. The Viceroy reported in November 1940 that relations with Nepal were "most cordial" and thanked the Nepalese PM for sending two extra Gurkha Brigades and for his generous financial support. Somewhat at odds with accepting a gift from Hitler methinks ....

3 How would the car get to Nepal in 1940? The article says it was transported "from Nepal's southern plains to the capital city", which would indicate it had come via India. India would hardly be likely to allow a gift-wrapped Merc with a label saying "Best wishes from Adolf" on it into the country, let alone all the way to Nepal!

At a guess, this might be a car left behind by a German diplomat or businessman who was either evacuated or interned in 1939 - or perhaps even confiscated from a Mercedes-Benz agency in India. As it was considered very unpatriotic to drive a German car, what better way to thank the Nepalese Royal Family than to give them a car which nobody in India wanted and had cost the Viceroy nothing? And taking the guess further - when the car arrives in Kathmandu the King thanks the British for it and is given the tongue-in-cheek answer: "Don't thank us, thank Hitler ...."

Of such offhand remarks myths are born ....

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Vitesse

This story is all around the world now, yet nobody seems to have questioned the facts behind it. Three of many questions:

1 Why would Hitler present a car to the King of Nepal, a country which had been a British ally since the Gurkha Wars of 1814-16 and had declared its support for the Allies as early as September 1939?

Hitler seems to have been pretty good at this kind of thing (maybe trying to establish allies ????). Others gifted cars by the Reich include the Maharaja of Patiala (Maybach) and King Farouk of Egypt (540K as a wedding gift). Obviously, both were within the realm of the Empire!

[Vitesse]

Originally Posted by travancore

Hitler seems to have been pretty good at this kind of thing (maybe trying to establish allies ????). Others gifted cars by the Reich include the Maharaja of Patiala (Maybach) and King Farouk of Egypt (540K as a wedding gift). Obviously, both were within the realm of the Empire!

I'm not familiar with the Maharajah, but Farouk was a notorious playboy who had less than nil morals and spent more time womanising and gambling than attending to the needs of his country.

Maybachs and 540Ks would be appropriate gifts for a head of state: in comparison a 320 would be no more than a bauble - almost an insult.

And I repeat - how would this car get to Nepal in 1940?

[DirtyDan]

No, it's authentic. I just blew up the picture and found this smiley face on the bumper.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

No, it's authentic. I just blew up the picture and found this smiley face on the bumper.

That's an original!!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

DirtyDan, that is real cool and dirty!!!

As for controversies, here is one:-

Nepal's king never had Hitler's car, its in India - ExpressIndia.Com

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Vitesse

And I repeat - how would this car get to Nepal in 1940?

Apparently, it was literally hand carried over the tracks!!!!

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

No, it's authentic. I just blew up the picture and found this smiley face on the bumper.

Hahahahahahhahahahaha....... That was a howlarious one DD!