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Old 14th February 2011, 16:46   #1321
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by karlosdeville View Post
So, another mystery solved - atleast partially. And thanks to Harit's vast archives. Where it is now we can try and find out - but apparently confirmed that it is exported. Hopefully the Rolls gurus on the forum can shed some light.

In one picture we can see another registration ending in 753, possibly this was the earlier system - do you have the whole number?
Hi Karlos,

I don't have the complete number for the other Rolls, but I can hazard a guess. It is probably BLA 1753, 9753 or 4753. My grand dads car was BLA 8489. The later car fell on bad times after the death of my great grand father. All his properties, including the Silver Ghost was to be equally divided amongst his 5 sons. The Rolls was taken apart, literally, one brother keeping the seats, another the steering wheel, another the tyres and so on. Obviously the car could no longer move, so it was stored in the garages next to my current home. Over time, a drainage problem developed in the river water system to our house, and the tyres of the car went under 1 foot of Ganga river clay soil. The tyres rotted away, and the car without the essential parts would not function. It was then given to one of my grand dads elder brothers, who sold it to a Scotsman. My dad recollects seeing the car one last time in the 1960s at one of the Statesman Rallies, after which it was reportedly exported via Nepal to Europe. It was also supposed to have been kept in the Kolkata garages of the Maharaja of Tikari before it went out.

Now the hunt to find the current whereabouts and ownership details of the car. This is really exciting for me!

Regards
Prithvi Tagore
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Old 14th February 2011, 16:59   #1322
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by mbz180 View Post
Hi Karlos, My grand dads car was BLA 8489. Regards, Prithvi Tagore
Indeed in my picture the reg no is BLB 8489. A positive identification. And as you had always claimed, it was a Ghost, not a 20HP.
It seems that in this Tagore family there were atleast two Rolls, BLA 8489 and B?? ?753.

Cheers harit

Last edited by harit : 14th February 2011 at 17:08.
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Old 14th February 2011, 17:31   #1323
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by harit View Post
Indeed in my picture the reg no is BLB 8489. A positive identification. And as you had always claimed, it was a Ghost, not a 20HP.
It seems that in this Tagore family there were atleast two Rolls, BLA 8489 and B?? ?753.

Cheers harit
Yes Haritji you may be right. BLB 8489 was for sure a family car, but not so sure about B???753. The cute little girl is my father's eldest sister, but apart from that I don't have any other details. My grandparents would have been able to shed some light on the ownership of the car, but alas they are no more. However, there is one more relative of mine who has an encyclopaedic knowledge about our family, I will show him the pic when able. My great dads Rolls was bought was brought down from England for princely sum of Rs.10,000 with a similar amount paid towards duties in 1920. The car like all Ghosts featured twin spark plugs per cylinder, one driven by the coil and the other as back up by magneto.

Haritji, please try and find out the current whereabouts of BLB 8489, if she still exists, and where.



BTW, did I ever mention that the family owned a stunning Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A, first owner being the Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich? The car reportedly had her initials engraved on it. Great granddad also owned a great Minerva Type AL, my grand dad would fondly narrate that this was the car they would use while going to school and coming back from school to home, and that one day the rear door hadn't been locked properly and he fell out on the road! Family also had an American Roamer Roadster, a rare car, with a Rochester Duesenburg Four as opposed to the more common and less powerful Lycoming Six. The radiator grille of this car was nearly identical to Rolls Royces, but neither the English firm nor it's Springfield subsidiary ever took any action on this. Apart from that, a large Daimler, and what my grand dad always called a Rolls Fiat or Super Fiat. They also had a Vauxhall Prince Henry. Granddad had a 2 tone 1939 Dodge Sedan, dad had first a 1956 Studebaker Champion and then a Studebaker Commander. Much later we had a lovely dark metallic blue and cream upper body Morris Minor Saloon sold as scrap, a Standard 2000 with custom made nubuck tan leather seats and door pads, also sold as scrap and a 1939 Austin 8 Tourer which still survives in Kolkata.

Regards
Prithvi Tagore

Regards
Prithvi

Last edited by mbz180 : 14th February 2011 at 17:53.
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Old 14th February 2011, 17:44   #1324
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Pics of a Rolls Royce from the Delhi Statesman this year. Any details on the car ?
Attached Thumbnails
Classic Rolls Royces in India-168001_1811521803206_1094833625_32226610_7240616_n.jpg  

Classic Rolls Royces in India-180135_1811524523274_1094833625_32226615_6150678_n.jpg  

Classic Rolls Royces in India-181701_1811519683153_1094833625_32226604_5310154_n.jpg  

Classic Rolls Royces in India-180758_1811524283268_1094833625_32226614_3408946_n.jpg  

Classic Rolls Royces in India-182626_1811521323194_1094833625_32226609_5555999_n.jpg  


Last edited by IndrojitSircar : 14th February 2011 at 17:47.
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Old 14th February 2011, 18:01   #1325
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by harit View Post
And see the car on the right, that also went. Only a real expert will identify that car by the roofline.

No Cheers harit
I think it maybe a Daimler, maybe even a Double Six. No no, I thinks it's a Lanchester after all. Am I right Haritji?

Last edited by mbz180 : 14th February 2011 at 18:27.
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Old 14th February 2011, 18:07   #1326
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by mbz180 View Post
I think it maybe a Daimler, maybe even a Double Six. Am I right, Haritji?

Me thinks its a Rolls also, as Kasli said, going by the Wheel cover and the roof line.
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Old 14th February 2011, 22:09   #1327
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by park-ward View Post
Hello Tranvancore,
This is chassis #82RM, a 1924 Barker limousine de ville. It is used by a hire company called Pakistan Services Ltd.
Pakistan Services Limited is not a hire company....This company owns 7 5 star hotels in Pakistan among other business.
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Old 15th February 2011, 06:11   #1328
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by harit View Post
And see the car on the right, that also went. Only a real expert will identify that car by the roofline.

harit


I believe the "mystery" car to the right (in the photo above) is the ex-Rewa Lanchester 40 H.P. (1923 / 24 ?). The car had a double roof with ventilating fans and many other unique features. Think the car is now painted reddish brown and in an European museum (featured in traumautoarchives).

The side profile is shown below:


Classic Rolls Royces in India-rewa-lanchester-40hp-double-roof.jpg

Nawanagar (Maharaja Ranjitsinghji) had an earlier 38 H.P. Lanchester Pullman with an identical roof / ventilation system

Last edited by travancore : 15th February 2011 at 06:25.
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Old 15th February 2011, 09:48   #1329
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by travancore View Post


I believe the "mystery" car to the right (in the photo above) is the ex-Rewa Lanchester 40 H.P. (1923 / 24 ?).

Nawanagar (Maharaja Ranjitsinghji) had an earlier 38 H.P. Lanchester Pullman with an identical roof / ventilation system
So I was right! Haritji, does that make me a qualified expert then?

Regards
Prithvi
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Old 16th February 2011, 18:01   #1330
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

While going throught the book ""Coachwork on Rolls-Royce" I came accross these pictures of Phantom I (#111NC) with a Connaught 2-door Allweather body. It has a Dhenkanal-33 registration plate, but I couldn't find it anywhere in this thread. According to ""Rolls-Royce the Derby Phantoms" it was delivered in 1927 to a Mrs. Hesketh Wright.
Attached Thumbnails
Classic Rolls Royces in India-pi111ncconnaught1.jpg  

Classic Rolls Royces in India-pi111ncconnaught2.jpg  

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Old 16th February 2011, 19:34   #1331
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by Boybentley View Post
While going throught the book ""Coachwork on Rolls-Royce" I came accross these pictures of Phantom I (#111NC) with a Connaught 2-door Allweather body. It has a Dhenkanal-33 registration plate, but I couldn't find it anywhere in this thread. According to ""Rolls-Royce the Derby Phantoms" it was delivered in 1927 to a Mrs. Hesketh Wright.
From what I know, the car came to India in the waning years of the Raj. It was later exported to the U.S. Believe it is still there.
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Old 16th February 2011, 20:20   #1332
 
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Guys, I have a very old book, possibly from the late 70s or something which has a very detailed review on most important rollers made from the early days to mid 70s or something. There are alot of original copies of trade articles and advertisements from the Autocar UK and some Indian cars as well. If someone wants to refer it, you are most welcome to.
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Old 17th February 2011, 03:57   #1333
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

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Originally Posted by Cyrus43 View Post
Guys, I have a very old book, possibly from the late 70s or something which has a very detailed review on most important rollers made from the early days to mid 70s or something. There are alot of original copies of trade articles and advertisements from the Autocar UK and some Indian cars as well. If someone wants to refer it, you are most welcome to.
Cyrus:
Could you please share the name of the book ? Thanks
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Old 17th February 2011, 04:23   #1334
 
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

Here is a Picture of the book:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...-image_255.jpg

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1030273
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Old 17th February 2011, 12:21   #1335
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re: Classic Rolls Royces in India

I enjoyed this "quiz" as I had also not seen this picture before. I could see that it was a Lanchester, but where, when whose I found out later.
I suspect that Prithvi may have had a little help, suggesting Daimler in the post and then going on to Lanchester.
Below is a picture of the car in its full glory.
Apparently there were foreign visitors who identified cars, then wheeler dealers like the Roy brothers purchased them, and then people like Hari Agarwal of Calcutta exported them. It is said that about 1000 cars left this way. Most went before the ban, but apparently some left after, in many cases via Nepal. Calcutta had a Vauxhall Hurlington which apparently also went out. One may have noticed in recent articles on exotic cars which came up in recent auctions abroad that the name of Roy was often associated with these cars.

Cheers harit
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Classic Rolls Royces in India-op-lancherster-01.jpg  


Last edited by harit : 17th February 2011 at 12:23.
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