[karlosdeville]

I wonder if Julian et al missed this rare find. We have been looking for these pictures for a while.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/897875-post382.html

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I wonder if Julian et al missed this rare find. We have been looking for these pictures for a while.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/897875-post382.html

Karl and Harit thank you for these, I think its either a
1909-11 16hp 2688cc 4 cylinder or 1911-12 15hp 2368cc 4 cylinder
Both the headlights and sidelights have been cast in brass and weigh several kilos! Also the wheels have been changed. It used to belong to Mr. Salu Chowdhury in Kolkata and ran several rallies there before coming to Delhi.
Why not post the photos here as well? Also the Humberette ought to have a place here as well, I have a photo but I don't own it or have permission.

Un peu de Cottereau information

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Karl and Harit thank you for these, I think its either a
1909-11 16hp 2688cc 4 cylinder or 1911-12 15hp 2368cc 4 cylinder

Also the Humberette ought to have a place here as well, I have a photo but I don't own it or have permission.

According to the Standard Motor Club, it is probably the 4 cylinder 15Hp car first manufactured in 1911. Chances are it was part of the Delhi Durbar cars.

Are you referring to Mallaya's car? Here she is at Pune, 2003.

[karlosdeville]

Some more pics of the car when she first made an appearence.

Attached please find some more Humbrette pics. These pics are from one of its first outings, she looks pretty much the same today. I feel that the lights are too big. The guy driving in pic one was the mechanic who looked aftr her at that time. The gentleman posing was a governor of Maharashtra a while ago. This was the first genuine veteran I had seen in India and was quite excited at that time.

What about the history of this car? Who was the first owner?

[Julian UK]

2 photos Andrew Blake took in 1987 of the 1905 Rover 6hp taken when I restored it in Mr Raj Seth's garage in Delhi. They show the advanced unit construction of engine and gearbox for the time. It also has an aluminium differential casing. As usual with early models all the bearings were completely worn out but the piston/bore were hardly worn at all. It used to belong to TVS in Madras and they had fitted a shiny modern looking contact breaker housing and a modern coil. It was converted back to the original trembler coil system. Had to make a points cam that allows the points to close once a revolution rather than open as per the normal later system. It was fitted with a slightly later Zenith carburettor as the original leather bellows type was missing, was unobtainable anywhere and never worked very well anyway. The rest of the car was in poor condition. The car completed 7 or 8 Delhi Statesman rallies.

[agspins]

1902 De Dion Bouton from Sanghi Collection displayed at Bhopal in 2002..
This car was non working then, even the tires seem to odd arent they...

[dhrishikesh]

What is the history of these cars ??
What is their country of origin ??
When & how they are (built?) launched in India ??

[karlosdeville]

A super image of a veteran here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1474180-post757.html

[the mole]

So whats the position of our census on the Vetrans? Can we update it to see what survives So far?

[IndrojitSircar]

Going through many threads in which we see many old cars and cars owned by the maharajas but havn't come across any cars before the British and during the British rule.I am sure many of us would have come across and would have some pics or knowledge about these cars.It would be great to know more about these cars.

[the mole]

No harm! Why not put up earliest photos from the advent of photography in India. We had some beautiful carriages in the past. Check out some of the pics I clicked in the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart they started with the horse and continued on to the advent of the early cars. After all cars were inspired by early carriages. If members show intrest I will post some more pics that illustrate the seamless fusion of the two with regard to the Mercedes Benz museum at Stuttgart.

Do we have record of early carriage makers in India?

[DKG]

By the first decade of the past century our family had bought some cars we usually don't hear about anymore namely Itala, Di Dion Bouton and possibly a Leon Bollee. Even the larger Renaults were patronised. Interestingly the French seemed quite active. Hyderabad had some strong French connections explaining so many French makes

I've seen pictures of a fleet of Crossleys at one of the Nizam's palaces. Along with the Napiers he also had a Standard, possibly so many more cars. Pity they are not documented.

One wonders if the customs department at Bombay and Madras transfered their earliest records to the archives. They would be an invaluable source of info on the earliest cars.

[wasif]

There were a few Edwardian Humbers and Sunbeams too with the Nizam. In fact there are many reports of him prefering to travel at the head of ceremonial processions in an batter old pre WWI Humber, I have read reports of it addressed as a"one lung Humber" aby idea what it means ?

[SuperSelect]

A unique and interesting contraption from British India - a 'Hand Car". This was a car that moved on rails, but had to be pushed by hand. Must be an inspection vehicle ??

[Samurai]

Title changed to something more meaningful - Support Team