[DKG]

Few cars represent the romance of motoring as well as the magnificent cars made by W.O. Bentley from 1919 until 1931. There's something magical about these machines. Just the sight of a W.O. Bentley transports you back in time when enthusiasts fervently raced these machines or crossed the European continent at high speeds.

The Bentley had a significant fan following in India too as is apparent by the following list of cars that made their way to India's shores

W.O. Bentley cars that were directly exported to India

Other W O Bentleys that are in India must have come indirectly later

Chassis Engine Year Body Coachbuilder First owner
Bentley 3 litre
269 272 1923 Aug Sir Victor Sassoon
402 409 1923 Dec 4 Seater sports Vanden Plas Sassoon Ltd E D
(Engine 409 now in Chassis DE 1208 VDP body no 1022)
427 429 1924 Feb Cadogan Sassoon Ltd E D
816 923 1924 Oct 4 Seater Barker Rajah Sir Hari Singh
827 834 1924 Oct Wagonette Barker Rajah Sir Hari Singh
932 935 1925 April 4 Seater Gurney Nutting Maj. Alexander
1166 1181 1925 Aug Park Ward Maharajah of Patiala
1221 1231 1925 Dec 4 Seater Park Ward Maharajah of Patiala
(Long frame to Speed model specification)
LT1585 LT1583 1927 Jan Coupe Connaught Maharajah of Rajpipla
ML1514 ML1516 1927 July 4 Seater Vanden Plas Maharajah of Wankaner
(Vanden Plas body no. 1333 sporting 4 Seater Scratched Aluminium/Blue)

Bentley 6 ½ litre
WB2563 WB2563 1926 Sept 2 Seater Thrupp and Maberly Nawab of Bhopal
FA2513 FA2515 1928 Sept 2 Seater Barker Maharajah of Bhavanagar
(New Barker tourer body fitted in 1938 Now in Australia)
KF2389 KF2397 1929 Feb 4 Seater H J Mulliner Maharajah of Junagadh
LR2778 NH2748 1930 Oct Coupe H J Mulliner Maharajah of Jaipur
(Re-imported to UK in 1937 and re-reg DUU 618)

Uncertain.
WK2673 WB2664 1927 Mar Saloon (W) Gurney Nutting Sir Victor Sassoon
(Originally registered in UK No. YE 7348. Not sure if it came to India)
KR2691 KR2689 1929 Oct Saloon(W) H J Mulliner Sir Victor Sassoon
(Originally registered in UK Reg UV 2952 not sure if it came to India. Engine now in chassis VF4006)

Bentley 4 ½ litre
NX3452 NX3454 1929 April 4 Seater Vanden Plas Maharajah of Bhavanagar
(Standard sporting 4 seater 6 inch longer bonnet Blue fabric/Blue/Black Re-imported to UK in 1970
Vanden Plas body no. 1555)

Bentley 4 ½ litre supercharged
MS3940 MS3943 1930 Nov 4 seater Gurney Nutting Maharajah Holkar of Indore
(Burnt out in the 30s engine at bottom of Bombay harbour in a speed boat)


No 8 litre or 4 litre cars are listed as having been directly exported to India

Records extracted from Bentley The Vintage years 1919 -1931 (posted by fellow BHPian Julian in the Bentleys in India thread)

[DKG]

The following are pictures of WO Bentleys that survive in India, posted by fellow BHPians



Apparently a 3 litre (chassis # not known) presently in the collection of Mr. Sanghi. Picture posted by Speedy

W O Bentley 8 litre 1931 #YF 5014 engine no #YF 5014 1st body A Mulliner Saloon 2nd body India 1st owner E G Guest, presently owned by Pranlal Bhogilal




Photos courtesy of Harit, Karlosdeville, posted by Julian in the Bentleys in India thread


Bentley 8 Liter YR5083 in India

Chassis YR5083, Engine YM5050)
Registration GO 13
1st Body: A Mulliner Coupe; 2nd Body: India built tourer
1st Owner: CWC Wood
Present owner family of Mr. Ronnie Khan

(source: www.VintageBentleys.org :: [1931 Bentley] Registration No. GO 13 :: Chassis No. YR5083 :: Engine No. YR5083)



posted by Travancore in the Bentley in India thread.

Pictures of the very original BX2422 the 6 1/2 litre Bentley with Mr. Vikram Singh can be found at

www.VintageBentleys.org :: [1927 Bentley] Registration No. YT 6908 / MDN 5087 (India) :: Chassis No. BX2422 :: Engine No. DH2202

Another fabulous 6 1/2 litre which came to India is WB2563, 1926 2 Seater Thrupp and Maberly Nawab of Bhopal. The car pictures can be seen at

www.VintageBentleys.org :: [1926 Bentley] Registration No. (Not available) :: Chassis No. WB2563 :: Engine No. WB2563

This was an amazing machine ordered by the Nawab of BhopalPrince Hamidullah. It apparently had 11 hunting lamps installed. No one knows if this car has survived.

[wasif]

Did any WO's come to Hydreabad ? If so can you enlighten us of their provonence.

I understand there are a few Derby /RR made Bentleys now in Hyderbad. Would love to hear about ehr Bentleys in Hyderabad now.

When I was there I remember seen a two door convertible Bently being unloaded from a truck near Tivoli Theater in Sec Bad.

The gentleman who was supervising this and who was driving a red Suzuki Jimmy said it was from a Royal Family, some Maharani's car, don't remember which , maybe Bhopal. He also mentioned something about this car being driven into a lake or something like that.

Later I found out that this was the famous Ranjit Malik, purveyor of fine vinatge and classic autos.

Im sure someone here can shed some light on this car. All I remember of it was that it was extremely low, almost ground hugging.

[TractionAvant]

My Dad was posted to Secunderabad for 6 months in 1984. We went to the club quite often. I remember seeing a metallic sky blue Bentley tourer with black wings at the club on more than one occassion. I was 9 years old then but if my memory serves me right, it could have been a 3 litre. Any ideas where it is now (if, indeed, it was a 3 litre )

Aditya

[wasif]

Here is a picture of the Maharaja of Bhavnagar's Speed Six Bentley. What a handsome machine.

I really wonder how these cars were sold by the royal families specially when money was not an object to them.

[harit]

I understand that the idea of this thread is to put up any info/pic on Bentleys and this will be linked to the Bentley site.
The attached picture could go to the nostalgia thread, but perhaps is more suitable here.
This is one of 2 pictures which I have of this car. No history is known, pic purchased from the flea market. I had sent to Julian, he has been asking for me to post. So here it is.
I doubt that anyone will be able to identify these folks, but they do not seem to be Maharaja types.
The picture is a bit small, but when enlarged it becomes blurred.
Cheers
Harit

[karlosdeville]

A friend sent me this great compilation on some W.O. cars and requested i share it.


Chassis no. 91 1922 May 3 litre Returned to UK 1925 now in UK 1st owner J E Scott

(From Veteran and vintage cars)


Chassis no. 402 1923 Vanden Plas tourer 1st owner ED Sassoon by V.Hartman

(From Flickr)


Chassis no. 827 1924 Oct 3 litre Barker Wagonette 1st owner Rajah Sir Hari Singh

(From a Barker photo)


Chassis no: BX 2422 1927 July Hooper Limousine No.6764 Sir A Kennedy later Cochin royal family

(From Team-BHP)


Chassis no. FA2513 1928 Sept 1st body Barker 2 Seater now reunited by P Hageman 1st owner Maharajah of Bhavanagar

(From Team-BHP)


Chassis no. FA2513 1928 Sept 2st body in 1938 Barker tourer 1st owner Maharajah of Bhavanagar

(From Team-BHP)


Chassis no. KF2389 6 1/2 litre 1929 Feb 4 Seater H J Mulliner 1st owner Maharajah of Junagadh



Chassis no. KF2389 6 1/2 litre 1929 Feb 4 Seater H J Mulliner 1st owner Maharajah of Junagadh

(From Autos of the Maharajas)


Chassis no. LR2778 6 1/2 litre 1930 HJ Mulliner DHC 1st owner Maharaja of Jaipur



Chassis no. LR2778 6 1/2 litre 1930 HJ Mulliner DHC 1st owner Maharaja of Jaipur

(From Mr Proctor in an internet advert)


Chassis no. WB2563 6 1/2 litre 1926 Sept 2 Seater Thrupp and Maberly 1st owner Nawab of Bhopal

(From a Bentley factory photo)


Chassis no. WB2563 6 1/2 litre 1926 Sept 2 Seater Thrupp and Maberly 1st owner Nawab of Bhopal

(From a Bentley factory photo)



Chassis no. ML1514 1927 July 3 litre 4 Seater Vanden Plas no. 1333 1st owner Maharajah of Wankaner

(From Autos of the Maharajas)

Chassis no. NX3452 1929 April 4 1/2 litre 4 Seater Vanden Plas body no 1555 1st owner Maharajah of Bhavanagar (Standard sporting 4 seater 6 inch longer bonnet Blue fabric/Blue/Black Re-imported to UK in 1970)

In 2007
(From Neil Davies Historic racing)


In 1985
(From "Cars 1886-1930" by G N Georgano 1985)

Chassis no RL3431 4 1-2 litre Vanden Plas tourer 2nd body Shaigan tourer 1st owner Geoffrey Joel

In India/Pakistan until 1971
(Photo from Vintage Bentley cars (1919 to 1931) :: 3-litre, 6½-litre, 4½-litre, 4½-litre S/C, 8-litre & 4-litre :: Info & photographs)

[karlosdeville]

Here is an updated list of W O Bentleys in India at some point, thanks very much to Clair Hay and vintagebentleys.org.

(Note: Attachment updated on 10-Nov-09)

[wasif]

So Karl any idea of how many of these actually are surviving in India today.

What is the story on the Holkar Supercharged 4.5 and how the engine ended up on the bottom of Bombay Harbor.

Also who was Sir Victor Sassoon and what was his connection to Bentley. By the looks of it he is credited with importing quiet a few of these cars.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by wasif

What is the story on the Holkar Supercharged 4.5 and how the engine ended up on the bottom of Bombay Harbor.

Also who was Sir Victor Sassoon and what was his connection to Bentley. By the looks of it he is credited with importing quiet a few of these cars.

I remember reading about the Holkar engine on the forum itself, I forget where.

The Sasoon family was a wealthy jewish family, I think from Israel. They were established merchants, and the Sasoon name is associated to many charities in Bombay and Pune today.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by wasif

So Karl any idea of how many of these actually are surviving in India today.

What is the story on the Holkar Supercharged 4.5 and how the engine ended up on the bottom of Bombay Harbor.

Also who was Sir Victor Sassoon and what was his connection to Bentley. By the looks of it he is credited with importing quiet a few of these cars.

The "story" I have heard is that the engine ended up in a speedboat - which caught fire and sank in Bombay Harbor.

[wasif]

Originally Posted by travancore

The "story" I have heard is that the engine ended up in a speedboat - which caught fire and sank in Bombay Harbor.

What was the engine doing on a speedboat in the first place.

Was the Maharaja in to speedboats and had it installed on one ?

[Faster789]

Originally Posted by wasif

What was the engine doing on a speedboat in the first place.

Was the Maharaja in to speedboats and had it installed on one ?

Dn't know about this car, but a couple of cars and their engines met similar ends. If I recall, the Ghondals used one of their car's engines in a speedboat too. For some reason, my brain seems to tell me that it was from a 300SL, maybe someone else know for sure.

[Clare]

Concerning the Maharajah of Jaipur's Speed Six coupe, chassis LR2778...

It's in pieces at Graham Moss's in the UK, for restoration work. It was restored by Tony Townshend in the 1970s, repainted in red and black, with new trim in tan leather. Later on the red paint below the waistline was redone in black. It's a very handsome H J Mulliner body but the 1970s restoration work wasn't up to scratch, so now we're doing it properly, copying detail from an original 41/2 Litre Bentley H J Mulliner saloon and the body from a Speed Six shown on H J Mulliner's stand at Olympia in 1929.

Problem is, we don't know what the original colours were, and the car has been so heavily restored over the years that we can't find any traces.

The black and white photo is the earliest I can find, from the mid 1950s. Definitely two-tone, possibly black over ivory. The second photo was taken by me at a Bentley Drivers Club Kensington Gardens concours in the early 1980s, after restoration by Townshend. Grayscaling this shows that the red is much darker than the original light colour.

So does anyone know, did the Maharajah of Jaipur have "house colours"? I'm wondering if perhaps he had a regular colour scheme for his cars.

I've been talking with John Fasal about his upcoming book on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys in India book, and I'm working on the 8 Litre (two in India), so more photos and info later, if it's of interest.

Clare Hay

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Clare

Concerning the Maharajah of Jaipur's Speed Six coupe, chassis LR2778...


So does anyone know, did the Maharajah of Jaipur have "house colours"? I'm wondering if perhaps he had a regular colour scheme for his cars.

I've been talking with John Fasal about his upcoming book on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys in India book, and I'm working on the 8 Litre (two in India), so more photos and info later, if it's of interest.

Clare Hay

Welcome Clare, to the forum. While I don't have anything specific on LR2778, here is some info (of course subject to correction) I can offer:

Quite a few Jaipur cars were painted Pale Blue + Darker Blue or Ivory + Medium Blue.

The 1933 Jaipur Delage (Figoni) was painted Primrose+Green. The top was covered in Green Silk Twill (The Autocar, July 28, 1933). In black and white, it does look similar to the wonderful 1950's photo you have attached.

Period issues of The Autocar / Motor are good sources - many "Maharaja" cars were pictured / described. Hope you can find LR2778 somewhere on those 80+ year old pages. I will keep looking! Cheers