[harit]

Originally Posted by park-ward

Harit, this is a 1937 25/30HP Hooper lim..... Re. the Jaora car (#61CW), the sales cards show that it was bought in 1932 by Rasool Yar Jung......

Do any of these cars survive?

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

We see an English association badge - it appears to be a common one, though I cannot identify. Were these fitted in India back in the day? That could be a clue. Their attire though does strongly suggest this was shot abroad.

Could that be a ReDex (or similar sounding name) badge? There is a possibility that they attempted to come to India, I have a membership card and a badge, will try to post tomorrow.

Cheers harit

[park-ward]

There is no evidence that #61CW has survived. #GMP5 is in Missouri (USA).

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by harit

Could that be a ReDex (or similar sounding name) badge? There is a possibility that they attempted to come to India, I have a membership card and a badge, will try to post tomorrow.

Incidentally too have a membership card of Bombay, alotted to a Jaguar in the 1960s. Plus a book authored and signed by the then President.

[Vintage Khan]

Re. the Jaora car (#61CW), the sales cards show that it was bought in 1932 by Rasool Yar Jung. Since Vintage Khan informed us that the car was owned at some time by Rasool's son, Naheeb, this is all consistent and I think it confirms the id. of the car. It had an "engine turned aluminium dashboard" like the Bugattis.[/quote]

Hunt for the missing Rolls Royce

Now that ex-Jaora RR (#61CW) is confirmed by experts like Park-ward & Travancore to have belonged at some stage to Hyderabad-Deccan's Nawab Rasool Yar Jung Bahadur, Can someone suggest how can i trace its whereabouts? Is there a source apart from the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club & Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation? Of the 7874 (Silver Ghosts or 40/50s) produced between 1906–1926 according to The Rolls-Royce Motor Car by Anthony Bird & Ian Hallows, Batsford Books-2002, how many are registered with these premier clubs?

Is it possible that (RR #61-CW) never left India at all? Well! if it wasn't butchered, like many of her contemporaries in Hyderabad.

Please advise.

Cheers!

[wasif]

If I remember correctly Kasli had posted that this car might be in delhi.

Send him a PM and check on it.

[Vintage Khan]

Originally Posted by wasif

If I remember correctly Kasli had posted that this car might be in delhi.

Send him a PM and check on it.

Thanks, I am hoping & praying that RR is Delhi turns out to be my ancestral RR. If not, what a heart-break it would be for me... Anyways photos of the car are awaited from kasli.

Cheers!

[Boybentley]

Originally Posted by Steve Stuckey

Here we have the last of the Phantom IIIs that were delivered to India, and it is a stunning car. The chassis came off test on 24 August 1938, and it had engine Q98N; the steering was at the E rake and it was for use in India. The chassis was sent to RR-owned coachbuilder Park Ward on 26 August. It was completed on 16 December 1938.

The coachbuilder mounted a beautiful tourer on the chassis, with body number 4605. Immediately one notices how the hood folded right away, so that the line of the car was flat with the hood down; in addition, the windscreen could be folded down flat against the scuttle. It was finished in electric blue with a grey hood. The leather interior was in silver grey, and the woodwork was in teak.The carpet was in grey wool. The spare wheel was mounted at the rear in a chrome-plated wheel cover.

The car was ordered by Allied Motors Ltd. for Maharaja Shri Lukhdhirji Waghji Bahadur of Morvi, Kathiawar State (26 December 1876 - 4 May 1957). He succeeded as 8th Maharaja on 11 July 1922, and abdicated in 1948. He had owned Silver Ghost Barker tourer 82RM. He described himself as a big-game hunter and a sportsman, and it is interesting to note that he was 63 years old when he received this very sporting Phantom III. His next "proper" motor car would be Bentley Mark VI B486EY, a Park Ward drophead coupe. The PIII featured in The Motor magazine of 17 January 1939.

The Phantom III was back in England in 1950 (perhaps it was traded in on the Bentley Mark VI drophead coupe) when it was registered GBL157. In December 1953, when owned by D Fisher, it was serviced by RR with a mileage of 8,602. In late 1955, repainted, it was for sale by Knightsbridge Motors with a mileage of 19,000. By 1957 it had been repainted black, and in that year was owned by Vincent Sardi, and the famous Sardi's Restaurant of New York City.

In the 1980s the car suffered from a fire, which melted some of the body, including the moulded aluminium doors. It is currently owned in Belgium, repainted steel grey with a red interior.

The photos below are an original Park Ward photo, and another taken in September 1955 when for sale in London.

As seen in Belgium recently:

[harit]

Originally Posted by Vintage Khan

Re. the Jaora car (#61CW)....... Hunt for the missing Rolls Royce Now that ex-Jaora RR (#61CW) ...... Cheers!

For the moment this car appears to be lost. Its whereabouts are not known, no register or club appears to have it in their records. When a car like this Rolls surfaces anywhere in the world, the first effort is made to check its ID no and get it recorded. Apparently this car has not surfaced till date. Anything could have happened to it, scrapped, exported, one will have to wait till something comes up. Many such cars were rebodied to a bus or shooting brake, Bombay had a RR hearse, surely rebodied. You should try to follow up with the owners family what they did with the car. And then keep a lookout whenever a Rolls surfaces and check its ID. There are still a few Rolls Royce cars in India locked up and their ID has not been recorded. Like the car used for religious purposes in Kolkatta, if she still exists.
Good Luck, may one day the fate of 61 CW become known.

Cheers harit

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Boybentley

As seen in Belgium recently:

Interestingly BRG 1 by Gurney Nutting looks so much like this car. Smaller scale I guess ! As those were built in 1937 chances are Park Ward copied this design? The Maharajah may have seen the Gurney Nutting 25/30's and ordered a PIII in the same design just to outdo the other Maharajahs who ordered their cars on the smaller series.

[Vintage Khan]

Originally Posted by harit

For the moment this car appears to be lost. Its whereabouts are not known, no register or club appears to have it in their records. When a car like this Rolls surfaces anywhere in the world, the first effort is made to check its ID no and get it recorded. Apparently this car has not surfaced till date. Anything could have happened to it, scrapped, exported, one will have to wait till something comes up. Many such cars were rebodied to a bus or shooting brake, Bombay had a RR hearse, surely rebodied. You should try to follow up with the owners family what they did with the car. And then keep a lookout whenever a Rolls surfaces and check its ID. There are still a few Rolls Royce cars in India locked up and their ID has not been recorded. Like the car used for religious purposes in Kolkatta, if she still exists.
Good Luck, may one day the fate of 61 CW become known.

Cheers harit

Aameen!!! Thanks Harit, hope we'll trace this RR someday.

Cheers!

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by DKG

Interestingly BRG 1 by Gurney Nutting looks so much like this car. Smaller scale I guess ! As those were built in 1937 chances are Park Ward copied this design? The Maharajah may have seen the Gurney Nutting 25/30's and ordered a PIII in the same design just to outdo the other Maharajahs who ordered their cars on the smaller series.

The Green 25/30 now Ex-Kolkata and with a Bhpian is also very similar in style, but as rightly said, on a smaller scale.

Regards
Prithvi

[wasif]

Originally Posted by mbz180

The Green 25/30 now Ex-Kolkata and with a Bhpian is also very similar in style, but as rightly said, on a smaller scale.

Regards
Prithvi

You refer to the green one with Momen ?

[harit]

Originally Posted by wasif

You refer to the green one with Momen ?

There are three such Gurney Nutting cars in India, one BRG 1, then the green ex-Momen car being restored and a third in Kanpur.
This body on a PIII looks hugely impressive, wonder how well she ran.

Cheers harit

[kasli]

Originally Posted by harit

There are three such Gurney Nutting cars in India, one BRG 1, then the green ex-Momen car being restored and a third in Kanpur.
This body on a PIII looks hugely impressive, wonder how well she ran.

Cheers harit

Are they all 25/30 ?

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by wasif

You refer to the green one with Momen ?

Yes Wasif,

The green one by Gurney Nutting 25/30 which is now Ex-Momen. That too has a flush metal lid under which the hood completely disappears. The most apparent difference between BRG 1 and the Momen Rolls is the spare tyre cover. BRG 1 if I am right from seeing the pics on this forum, has a full metal cover, whereas the Momen Rolls has the chrome spokes visible, which in my opinion looks more stylish.

Actually, come to think of it, I have never seen any of Mr. Momen's cars ever with the hood up. I think his other blue 25/30 2 door cut away Rolls doesn't have any roof at all and the claret Bentley 3 1/2 litre (or is it 4 1/2 ?) also has a disappearing top. I know for a fact that the Bentley's windows which could be rolled up with the frames originally, were modified and blocked off and this was confirmed by the owner.

The other Rolls in the family, as mentioned in this thread is the ex-Governor of Bombay P III Limousine. Now that's a car which looks like it was made for a giant!

Prithvi