[Bulldogji]

What a lovely picture Karl. Thanks. I am now informed that the car will be formally shown to all over tea on saturday november 3rd. Also on display will be lots of photographs etc connected with her amazing history and journey from the UK to India, back to Europe, and finally home. Enthusiasts all over the country are being contacted and requested to come to Rajkot for the event. I am really amazed and happy at the dedication and enthusiasm shown by the young yuvraj. All credit to him for embarking on this journey to bring back the family car. The event is likely to get a lot of media coverage. Hopefully someone will post pictures for all to enjoy. We will of course see the beauty in flesh in feb 2013 when she re visits bombay.

[kasli]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

What a lovely picture Karl. Thanks. I am now informed that the car will be formally shown to all over tea on saturday november 3rd. Also on display will be lots of photographs etc connected with her amazing history and journey from the UK to India, back to Europe, and finally home. Enthusiasts all over the country are being contacted and requested to come to Rajkot for the event. I am really amazed and happy at the dedication and enthusiasm shown by the young yuvraj. All credit to him for embarking on this journey to bring back the family car. The event is likely to get a lot of media coverage. Hopefully someone will post pictures for all to enjoy. We will of course see the beauty in flesh in feb 2013 when she re visits bombay.

Bulldogji are you going ? Or waiting for her here . Anyways we will go on the flag off in the morning unless you are going for the run.

Cheers

[Bulldogji]

No Kasli, I am not going. Tweety just flew in with the news that in fact NO ONE is going. So? No flag off .

[Bulldogji]

I had earlier mentioned that the star was going to be formally shown to the public on November third. Today's times of India has a picture and full story about the arrival, price paid etc. Makes nice reading, but nothing new. the young prince talks with great enthusiasm about how the car has come home to stay. What a pity the Rajkot rally, planned to coincide with this function could not take place. but now whenever the event takes place, participants can look forward to seeing this beauty and interacting with the man responsible for the cars return. hats off to the young prince .

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

Today's times of India has a picture and full story about the arrival, price paid etc. Makes nice reading, but nothing new. the young prince talks with great enthusiasm about how the car has come home to stay. What a pity the Rajkot rally, planned to coincide with this function could not take place. .... the man responsible for the cars return. hats off to the young prince .

Very true. Here is the article you wrote about.

[Bulldogji]

This beautiful Rolls has finally made it to the VCCCI web site. BUT, like the fabricated story of another Rolls, here too we read that the Rajkot Rolls was bought back, ( so far ok) and RESTORED by the erstwhile prince. Now one and all know that this was a restored car that was bought and shown at Pebble Beach. Why spin yarns?? Nonetheless, nice to see the VCCCI web site active and reasonably up to date with current events. The pictures, with a beaming prince, are nice. Hope royalty of other erstwhile states also take the initiative to bring back their cars to their rightful homes. The government should be petitioned to allow such imports on either zero duty, or a nominal sum. In any case the revenue earned will be a pittance, but our cars can come home. I am told that there exists a federation of all vintage/classic clubs/ associations of India. Why cannot this federation take up this issue with the government?

[the mole]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

The government should be petitioned to allow such imports on either zero duty, or a nominal sum. In any case the revenue earned will be a pittance, but our cars can come home. I am told that there exists a federation of all vintage/classic clubs/ associations of India. Why cannot this federation take up this issue with the government?

Hi Bulldogji, a small point here the cars were sold by these Maharajas some of them well aware that they would be exported. Though I would love to see the cars back, why make a concession to only the original owners to get them back, please do also allow the average Joe collector to get these back at a concession also if he desires so. After all we have moved towards a more democratic system. regards the mole

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

The government should be petitioned to allow such imports on either zero duty, or a nominal sum.

Originally Posted by the mole

why make a concession to only the original owners to get them back, please do also allow the average Joe collector to get these back at a concession also if he desires so

I agree with Amol that the law must be equitable for all, whether applying to erstwhile royalty or the common person. Having said that, it must also be reckoned that whoever sold their vehicle, did so for the money, whatever it fetched them then. Surely a pittance by today's values, however, that 'pittance' then would've been enough to buy real estate at rates prevailing at the time, which will certainly fetch a lot more than what these cars would today. So, pay what the general import duties are. Okay, for the sake of our 'heritage' maybe a slight relaxation, but coming back to the opening point, that special waiver must be uniform for all across the board. I for one, am completely against these relaxations and waivers. A case in point being Sachin Tendulkar's Ferrari, but that's a whole big can of worms, possibly OT too, hence I'll desist from dwelling further on that!

Edit:
In fact I have my viewpoints on this whole 'heritage' talk also, but for now, I'd like to retreat back to my coconut milk and barley water. So, cheers!

[Bulldogji]

Amol and Prabal, Hi. Both of you make valid points and I must agree. What I actually meant to say was that in the first instance, let cars that were in India and exported be allowed to return on a nominal fixed duty. The reason being valuations. In the west valuations are reasonable, here due to a supply and demand imbalance, prices are unstable. Thus the customs may not agree with the price you paid and may insist on a local club/ association/ expert valuing the car. Keeping in mind the state of affairs here, that would be a nightmare for some and a lottery for others. Hope you get my drift.

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

...be allowed to return on a nominal fixed duty. The reason being valuations. In the west valuations are reasonable, here due to a supply and demand imbalance, prices are unstable. Thus the customs may not agree with the price you paid and may insist on a local club/ association/ expert valuing the car.. Hope you get my drift.

Howdy Bulldogji, yes, I get your drift, nice and cool! Yes, vagueness in evaluation would certainly pose problems. Another option could be for customs to agree to go by the purchase receipt, believing that it wouldn't be too fudged!!

Season's Greetings! To all!

[srinand]

Hi,

This appeared in Deccan herald a few days ago.

Regards,

Srinand.

[Automaton]

Originally Posted by travancore

Here is another period picture of the "Star of India" along with a Silver Ghost (?) at Rajkot
source: Unknown (maybe TBHP!!!) - source of original on photo
Attachment 182071

I would doubt that one of the "primary" state cars would be "No.26" though! That number would probably be relegated to the staff fleet!

There is a picture on pg 301 of "Autos of the Maharajas" - maybe someone with sharper eyesight can confirm "No.26" - it does look plausible!

Browsing through the net, came across this:

"...in 1934, Dharmendrasinhji decided to replace his 20-year-old Rolls-Royce with a new one. But the new car would not be just any Rolls-Royce. The car he eventually bought became renowned as the ‘Star of India’, named after the famous 563-carat star sapphire...."

So, went through all the Star of India pages here, and so far no one has mentioned this Sapphire connection to the name, how much of it is true I have no clue.

Secondly, what happened to the 1914 RR as mentioned in the article. Is it still alive and well?

Source: http://www.eknazar.com/atlanta/News/...ews.php?id=506

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Automaton

Browsing through the net, came across this:

"...in 1934, Dharmendrasinhji decided to replace his 20-year-old Rolls-Royce with a new one. But the new car would not be just any Rolls-Royce. The car he eventually bought became renowned as the ‘Star of India’, named after the famous 563-carat star sapphire...."

So, went through all the Star of India pages here, and so far no one has mentioned this Sapphire connection to the name, how much of it is true I have no clue.

Secondly, what happened to the 1914 RR as mentioned in the article. Is it still alive and well?

Source: http://www.eknazar.com/atlanta/News/...ews.php?id=506

The Silver Ghost is a 1908 car, chassis 60797. Do not know if it still exists. A period picture we have seen before, is attached.



The "Star of India" story is highly doubtful. By the time the Phantom II came around, "named cars" were out of vogue - they were common on Silver Ghosts. I would think, it was a marketing ploy, but of course will stand corrected any time!

[Bulldogji]

Originally Posted by travancore

The Silver Ghost is a 1908 car, chassis 60797. Do not know if it still exists. A period picture we have seen before, is attached.

Attachment 1351143

The "Star of India" story is highly doubtful. By the time the Phantom II came around, "named cars" were out of vogue - they were common on Silver Ghosts. I would think, it was a marketing ploy, but of course will stand corrected any time!

To the best of my limited knowledge,this name was given by the german collector when he put the car up for sale alongwith others

Good marketing stratergy. I do not think H H Rajkot ever named the car such.

Lovely car, happy that is is reunited with the family. I hope many erstwhile owners manage to buy and bring back their family cars

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

To the best of my limited knowledge,this name was given by the german collector when he put the car up for sale alongwith others

Good marketing stratergy. I do not think H H Rajkot ever named the car such.

Lovely car, happy that is is reunited with the family. I hope many erstwhile owners manage to buy and bring back their family cars

Hans-Gunther Zach (Sach) at one time seems to have owned more ex-Maharaja R-R's than anyone else.....

Rewa PII 86XJ ("Emerald of Rewa"); Rajkot PII 188PY ("Star of India") and the Nanpara PI 6YC ("Alu-Skulptur").

At least he took good care of them - even resurrected 188PY after a disastrous fire. So, we will permit him some "poetic licence" with naming cars.