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-   -   Holkar magic - the fabulous cars of H.H. Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar of Indore (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/pre-war/65845-holkar-magic-fabulous-cars-h-h-maharaja-yeshwantrao-holkar-indore.html)

Other Maharajas may have had more Rolls Royces, some may even have bought them seven at a time. But for sheer artistry, style and an avant-garde approach to automobiles, the garages of Yeshwantrao Holkar may be hard to beat (personal opinion only :))

I am deeply indebted to conceptcarz.com, ultimatecarpages.com, topfoto.co.uk, "Automobiles of the Maharajas", and of course many of our T-BHPians for the pictures and car identifications below:

It is interesting that most of these cars were owned in a mere five years approximately mid to late 1930's!

Starting with some of the Gurney-Nutting creations

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Duesenberg 1935 Chassis J-585 (highest known serial) Gurney-Nutting



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Bentley 1936 4 1/4 Ltr Chassis B11-GP Gurney Nutting Tourer



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Bentley 3 1/2 Ltr Chassis B194-FB Aerofil Coupe Gurney Nutting



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Lagonda V-12 Gurney Nutting



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RR Phantom III 1936 Chassis 3AX-147



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Delage D8 (SS ?) 1930 Figoni-Falaschi (?)




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Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B 1938 Superleggera by Touring (he owned 2 cars - Chassis # 412019 and one unkown)
The cream & yellow car is confirmed Indore






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Mercedes 540K 1937 Cabriolet A Chassis # 232198 Sindelfingen





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So where are the Hispano Suiza J-12 (sister car to the PIII) - hint Harit! , the Figoni-Falaschi Talbot-Lago, the other Bentleys, the Bugatti ...............

I completely second your personal opinion! I like the choices he made and his penchant for those long sexy touring roadster designs. A man after me own heart it seems!

Nice thread travancore.

I first read about the Holkar Duesenberg around 6-7 years ago when I was going through a Classic Car magazine. It had a mention that he had a collection of one of the finest cars in the world. Hope this thread manages to get hold of pics of all these automobiles.

though not my type of automobiles but really a good collection. hats off.

What a collection!! A true connoisseur i must say. He was certainly partial to Gurney Nutting built cars i must say.

More Pics of the 1930 Delage D8 DHC....enjoy

Can anyone actually draw up a conclusive list of cars that went through the Holkar stables.

I think that Farman was also there's at one time.

There is a picture of HH besides a Bugatti in the Automobiles of the Maharajas book apart from mentione of them having numerous Bentleys and RR apart from other cars.

It would be interesting to learn more about their cars and the reasons why most were only retained for short periods.

Hello Wasif,

No the Farman was not with Holkars. The Farman was with Idar, then went on to another state and finally Bharatpur. Bharatpur sold this Farman along with a 20HP to an individual who kept both the cars in Pune for some time. Then they came to Mumbai and left the country, AFTER there was an export ban.
The link between Holkars and Idar was the Duesenberg, that travelled from Holkar to Idar on to the actor Sheikh.
Holkar also had a Bugatti Brescia which had lost its engine. Today that car has gone to south India.

Cheers harit

Well they obviously had fine taste, and I suppose constantly moved on to newer and better things. Many of the wealthy today too buy a sports car or a super luxury sedan and upgrade every couple of years.

There are pictures around of the Farman with Idar, Karauli and Bharatpur plates. Cheers

Wow lovely thread, lovely cars ! These cars represent "ART" in automobiles at its finest !!

Our mutual friend from Chennai had mailed me recently about one of his friends aquiring a Bugatti.. Do you thisnk its this one ?

The Holkar Bugatti I was refering to was a later eight cylinder kind maybe a T37 or T44 there are pictures of HH standing by the car somewhere in Europe.

Here is a story on an ex-Indore Bugatti "Type 23" (even though, probably not a "Yeshwantrao" car). This may have been posted before by myself or another TBHP-ian.

courtesy Bugattipages.com

Is it a Type 13 or the later T23 Bersica from the Holkar stables gifted to his mechanic that Harit has mentioned here .

I am sure someone here will be able to narrate the complete tail, Its a pity the distinctive radiator has been lost along with I guess much else.

Nice to see the Bugatti plate firmly in place none the worse for wear given the traumatic circumstance this car must have gone through.

A stylish 1954 Bentley R Type Continental (Chassis BC10C) is offered for sale, reportedly ex Holkar. The car is reported to have always been in the US, and now UK.

Bentley R Type Continental BC10C

Tell me something karl,is importing a right hand drive car allowed in the US?