[karlosdeville]

I found this Minerva on an Orkut album of one Ravikumar - must be the same gent I suppose.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/949724-post245.html

[karlosdeville]

I pointed out this thread and the Minervas to Harit, this is what he had to say.

Please refer to the thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/pre-19...cars-up-2.html . There is so much wrong info just in this page. You had sent me this page to check out on the Minerva. Without going through the posts before and after this page, I will like to add:
Link 17: is rightly the Banaras Minerva with 2 boa costrictor horns and was still having the red Maharaja plate. It should still be there, someone can update.
Link 20 & 22 & 30: The Gorakhpur cars came to Bangalore. The Minerva is still there, the Riley came to Mumbai and is still here. Pranlal is not in the picture.
Link 25: The Riley may now be for sale at a silly price. The Daimler is 1904, the Ford T is 1921 and the Studebaker is 1918. Is, because these are still alive though barely. They are pictured in the following link
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...s-cars-13.html # 186 and belong to me. Status:
Daimler steering wheel made new, magnetto procured, wheels being built, 2 tyres obtained.
Ford: All body panels rebuilt, to be assembled. Engine machined, to be assebled.
Stude: Tinwork done and assembled, wheel being built.
Incidently, these were the Tirwa cars and the Rolls is still there.
Link 26 & 29. The oldest cars seem to be the 1903 Humbrette and the 1903 Cottereau. I was once led on a wild goose chase for a 1902 Hanzer, I was shown photos but could not find the car. Now I suspect that it was actually the 1903 Cottereau, but cannot be sure. There must be an older car, we hear lots of rumours but till it comes out we go by these 2 1903 cars. Someone claims a 1902 Swift bike in Delhi, I think that it is a later bike. The oldest bike I know of is a Harley 1908 but it is missing its engine.
Speaking of the 1903 Cottereau, I see that it is called Patiala 0. Is this correct? I have never seen a red Maharaja numberplate with a 0, can someone enlighten?

[mohaan]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Its perhaps the oldest car in running condition, though Patiala 0 and another one on display in some college (A DeDion I think) do predate it.

There is something like this at St. Aloysius College at Mangalore. It was donated by P.F.X. Saldanha - a coffee planter and curer of yesteryears. He had the first car in Mangalore. Mohaan

[P.SINGH]

Originally Posted by vintageman

Well, I have been going around UP locating and sourcing cars in way out places in the interiors , been a labour of love , trying to source my cars for a price - reasonable for me. I knew the cars were there and it required some patience waiting for the auctions to to take place. There are a still a lot of cars awaiting auction in Govt lots . I know there are 4 Willy Jeeps ( OHV Engine ) , 6 Toyota Land Cruisers 1968 FJ 40 , a 1950 Ford F1 Truck , a 1938 Chevrolet HC Master 1/2 T pick up . There is a Ford Truck abandoned by the roadside between Kanpur and Allahabad , the engine is missing now but still can be used to source the transmission etc. There is a 1948 Ford V 8 still lying abandoned with a V 8 engine in Lucknow , supposedly it belonged to Natwarlal. The worst was the case of a Ford Custom which was abandoned in 2004 at a grabage dump in Lucknow and in a year it was pillaged by the local kids for exchanging the steel for chikki , in 2006 the chassis n engine which was what remained of the original car was removed to the municipal scrap dump. The best place to source Model A and FIAT's used to be the local marriage bands. A Model T is still displayed in the small office of a band master in a very small UP town , just have to wait and see if I get lucky with that one.

Though with the increased demand from Delhi and Chndigarh the cars are becoming harder to come by . I was informed by a mechanic at Banda in UP that he had sourced 15 BSA bikes (within a month)for a Delhi dealer at Rs 17,000 each , this was last year .

Presently I am waiting for the Govt to auction a Hillman 8 Cylinder which they discovered per chance in their inventory when they found the car abandoned in a godown taken over by a Central Govt organisation . I expect it will be a one off car in India , should be an interesting restoration as spares are hard to come by, even through the Rootes network .

Attached photos of the Hillman 8 ( not very clear ) and of the PE restoration ( model with the optional spoke wheels and double side mounts - stepneys on the mud guards ). The car also came with a broken ivory 1934 Ply hood ornament.

[url=http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image29im9.jpg][IMG][url=http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image27lh1.jpg][IMG]
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[url=http://img482.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image0112is0.jpg][IMG]

Hi vintageman,i am also from Lucknow and was woundering if you can help me find a 1942 Ford Jeep or a low bonnet Willys Jeep.Looking forward to hear from you.
Regards.
SINGH.

[kasli]

The Gorakhpur car is somewhere in Bangalore and The Riley in Mumbai best to my knowledge.

Cheers

Originally Posted by vintageman

I am still struggling to come to terms with the procedure for attaching photos , here is the Riley ( not for sale )



As regards the Isotta , as I said Speedy - just a rumour in town , that the car was given on a lease and was being asked back , have no idea how and where this rumour originated.

As regards the Gorakhpur Minerva ( missing the Grill , Head Lights & Radiator ) it was a 1926 model with sankey wheels , the Riley was a 1935 convertible , the cars were with the Subzposh family , they were disposed off in the mid nineties .

At the same time the following cars were also removed from Lucknow :

1904 Daimler ( Chain Drive )
1909 T Model
1910 Studebaker

My information is that Mr. Ravikumar from Bangalore took the cars ( maybe wrong )

By the way the Humbrette ( supposedly the oldest car in the country ??) is also an ex UP car.

There was another Minerva and 2 Rolls in Gorakhpur , the Rolls are long gone as the family owning them were well known , I am still trying to discover what happened to this Minerva .

Maybe , just maybe ..........

[vintageman]

Mr. Singh ,

You have dusted and dug out a very old post , with the advent and reach of the net and middlemen springing up by the dozens , sourcing cars is becoming more and more difficult - though cars are still available , I am still buying whatever comes my way. But if you do come down Lucknow way I could guide you to persons who could source you a Jeep.
+++

Thanks for the information Kasli , the cars were originally with the Subzposh family in Gorakhpur .

The black Riley in the picture above is a single owner car ( it was purchased back by the family ) and it used to be a sight around Kanpur with the old gent driving around in the immaculately polished car in the 1980's as his daily use car.

& now that this old post has resurfaced - I stand corrected .... the Tirwa cars are with Mr. Trivedi

[vintageman]

Mr. Ibrahim from Kanpur - with the best restored and least publicised Rolls in the country had invited us over for a car show in his city - posting photographs from the event as everybody else in our state is too laid back to join the forum :

the black Riley is now green and again back with the family of the original owner Barrister Narendrajit Singh .

The Jaguar is still a daily drive around the city and did the 100 km from Lucknow to Kanpur in a respectable 2 hrs.

[vintageman]

And Some More:

With close to 200 cars in the state and about 150 in the Kanpur - Lucknow region it is surprising at the lack of application on behalf of the owners to join the forum!!!

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by vintageman

posting photographs from the event as everybody else in our state is too laid back to join the forum.

Originally Posted by vintageman

With close to 200 cars in the state and about 150 in the Kanpur - Lucknow region it is surprising at the lack of application on behalf of the owners to join the forum!!!

Well, thank you for keeping the UP flag flying high

I can see some really superb cars, the event must have been great. Please do continue to share your experiences on these events.

[kasli]

Originally Posted by vintageman

Mr. Ibrahim from Kanpur - with the best restored and least publicised Rolls in the country had invited us over for a car show in his city - posting photographs from the event as everybody else in our state is too laid back to join the forum :

the black Riley is now green and again back with the family of the original owner Barrister Narendrajit Singh .

The Jaguar is still a daily drive around the city and did the 100 km from Lucknow to Kanpur in a respectable 2 hrs.

Is Mr Ibrahim's other car restored ? That's suppose to be also an interesting car . It's wonderful to see that there are so many cars out on the road and love the old touch on the banners " Cawnpore "

Cheers

[wasif]

Which Rolls is the one that belongs to Mr. Ibrahim and what is the other car you are refering to Kasli ?

[karlosdeville]

Coverage in the TOI is seen here

http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...ns-vintage-car

[vintageman]

These were resting and rusting in peace , till the dreams were shattered - a disastrous tree topple :

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by vintageman

These were resting and rusting in peace , till the dreams were shattered - a disastrous tree topple :

Is the rusting saloon on the right in the first pic a Ford Custom? Would it, by any chance, be available for purchase? I could use one as a Christmas tree for my car.

[vintageman]

Hello Prabal ,

This one not for sale - I could ask around if you want to buy one.

Regards
Chauhan