[DKG]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

This is 1939 Derby Bentley 4 1/4 litre chassis no. #B77 MX HJ Mulliner DHC (concealed hood) 1st Owner Maharajah of Bhopal.

Lovely car! That would be the Nawab of Bhopal Julian not Maharajah. And in all probability this is from the stable of Prince Hamidullah who also owned the spectacular 6 1/2 litre hunting Bentley and the most stunning car in my opinion to ever come to India, his Mercedes SS.

Prince Hamidullah is grandfather to the present Nawab of Pataudi Mansoor Ali Khan whose mother was the last official Begum of Bhopal.

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by DKG

Lovely car! That would be the Nawab of Bhopal Julian not Maharajah. And in all probability this is from the stable of Prince Hamidullah who also owned the spectacular 6 1/2 litre hunting Bentley and the most stunning car in my opinion to ever come to India, his Mercedes SS.

Prince Hamidullah is grandfather to the present Nawab of Pataudi Mansoor Ali Khan whose mother was the last official Begum of Bhopal.

Thanks DKG for the correction
A friend of mine saw the Nawab of Pataudi Mansoor Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore on a bus here in London recently!!!
Times seem to have changed?

[Mohsin]

one of the last remaining vintage Bentley also taken out by its owner....though not to sell but to let his son have it who is now settled in USA. This is a 1926 Bentley 3 Litre

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by Mohsin

one of the last remaining vintage Bentley also taken out by its owner....though not to sell but to let his son have it who is now settled in USA. This is a 1926 Bentley 3 Litre

Any idea of the chassis number? If not could it be obtained?

[Mohsin]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Any idea of the chassis number? If not could it be obtained?

the owner is not a friendly soul and not known to me personally but I 'll try and get this info out for you.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Mohsin

the owner is not a friendly soul

what a typical scene with most owners!! Someone here in Hyderabad offers to show his Rolls to every Tom Dick and Harry off the street but whenever I make a request pat comes the reply " I will be out of town for a week, will call when I get back" That call hasn't come till date! I've now given up.

PS I have never refused an enthusiast who wanted to see our cars. I always consider myself a mere custodian of an art form that should be viewed by all who appreciate such art

[Julian UK]

I have been requested to upload quite a few photos on behalf of an old friend Andrew Blake who used to visit India a lot. They were taken in the 80s.

Here is a photo of the Indore 3 litre Bentley from around 1980 at an exhibition in a hotel in Delhi. It would be very interesting to know the chassis number of this car but it seems to be a National secret despite members present who could assist in identifying it.





Here is Derby Bentley #B197 BL 1935 Gurney Nutting DHC ex-Nawab of Rampur before it's excellent looking restoration. This was the last time I saw the car in about 1987, perhaps Speedy can confirm it is the same car he uploaded a photo of earlier.




This photo courtesy of Speedy.

[speedy]

Julian i have not seen the car in the unrestored form, so cannot comment on it. I shall ask.
But to put a smile on your face, Presenting the 1927 6.5 litre Bentley.

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by speedy

Presenting the 1927 6.5 litre Bentley.

Thanks Speedy, lovely photo, you have some priceless photos,
I think it prudent not to post the factory record of the car, I just hope it doesn't get rebodied...
I'm using a Ubuntu OS again so won't be around for a while.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by speedy

But to put a smile on your face, Presenting the 1927 6.5 litre Bentley.

Big smile indeed!

I assume this is the same car used in "A Passage to India"? And if I remember right she was with a Parsee family in the south, recently sold to Delhi for a (justifiably) exorbitant sum. Do correct me if Im wrong.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Thanks Speedy, lovely photo, you have some priceless photos,
I think it prudent not to post the factory record of the car, I just hope it doesn't get rebodied...

Thank you Julian, but not half of what treasures you and others have. I just manage pictures of what can be seen today.
As far as my word with the owner goes the car would be restored to its former glory and not rebodied in any way. The car is intact with nothing missing.
Since i do not have permission to release any more pictures of the car i am refraining from doing so.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Big smile indeed!

I assume this is the same car used in "A Passage to India"? And if I remember right she was with a Parsee family in the south, recently sold to Delhi for a (justifiably) exorbitant sum. Do correct me if Im wrong.

You are right Karl, The car was sold more than a year ago in Delhi (thats when the pictures are taken) and no longer sports the number CHN 2. I know the car came from the south but from a Parsee family i do not know. I presume it would be the same car used in "A Passage to India".

[DKG]

What an amazing machine and almost like it was frozen in time. I congratulated the owner on an absolutely fabulous buy and he said he does plan on retaining the original body. Once we have the chassis number its factory record can be noted from the website Vintage Bentley cars (1919 to 1931) :: 3-litre, 6½-litre, 4½-litre, 4½-litre S/C, 8-litre & 4-litre :: Info & photographs

[karlosdeville]

A newly restored Mk VI is featured here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1221704-post75.html

[wasif]

Here are details on the Maharaja of Baroda's Bentley. Can't find any pictures of it though. Can anyone add pictures or furhter details on this car.

Lot 169 : Originally the Property of HH the Maharajah Sir Pratapsinha Gaekwar of Baroda, GCIE1947 Bentley Mk VI Four-Seater Drophead CoupeCoachwork by H.J.MullinerRegistration no. AH 1111 (ex-FYG 240, ONV 500, YWB 306 Chassis no. B42AKEngine no. B37A Powered

Price Realised: £_________
Pre-Auction Price Estimate: £_________





Title:

Originally the Property of HH the Maharajah Sir Pratapsinha Gaekwar of Baroda, GCIE1947 Bentley Mk VI Four-Seater Drophead CoupeCoachwork by H.J.MullinerRegistration no. AH 1111 (ex-FYG 240, ONV 500, YWB 306 Chassis no. B42AKEngine no. B37A Powered
Description:

Originally the Property of HH the Maharajah Sir Pratapsinha Gaekwar of Baroda, GCIE1947 Bentley Mk VI Four-Seater Drophead CoupeCoachwork by H.J.MullinerRegistration no. AH 1111 (ex-FYG 240, ONV 500, YWB 306 Chassis no. B42AKEngine no. B37A Powered by the new F-head 4,257cc straight-six engine introduced after the war, the Mk VI Bentley launched in 1946 differed from its Rolls-Royce counterpart in having a higher-lift camshaft and twin SU carburettors. Production of this model was 5,201 units, but coachbuilt examples like this lovely drophead were always uncommon as four-fifths of the cars built carried the "standard steel" bodywork. The original owner of this Mk VI was the fabulously wealthy Indian Prince His Highness the Maharajah Sir Pratapsinha Gaekwar of Baroda, GCIE, who ordered it through the Yorkshire Bentley dealership Glovers of Ripon and Harrogate. It was registered FYG 240 on 8 July 1947. This was one of five Mk VI Bentleys owned by the Gaekwar (who also owned 29 Rolls-Royces), and was collected from Glovers by his chauffeur on 8 August 1947. The Bentley was kept at his English home at Headley Grove, Epsom, and was sold to its second owner, Hoffmans Limited, in March 1951. The Gaekwar's specification for this car was both exacting and comprehensive: the front seats were to be so arranged that the driver's and passenger's seats were separately adjustable, yet should be capable of seating three abreast when necessary. Two water flasks were to be incorporated in the front seats, while the arm rests on the front doors were to be hollow to store cigars. There was to be a cabinet with lock to the near side of the instrument panel, an opening windscreen and a chromium-plated body moulding. A scuttle-top ventilator was to be fitted, as were direction indicators and mirrors on each front wing plus a miniature interior rear view mirror. Practicalities were addressed by the instructions to fit a stiffener to the front end of the body "to prevent development of a front shake" and to give "special attention to ensure hood is waterproof". The hood was a special design which was entirely concealed when folded - "so much nicer than the Park Ward drophead," said George Milligen, who bought the car in 1976 - and the original interior trim specified by the Gaekwar was a "particularly memorable" pale blue silk brocade ("quite impractical for use in a motor car"). This was subsequently replaced with a more durable material. This car was apparently the first of a small series - "about ten to twelve cars" - of special dropheads built by H.J.Mulliner when they were still an independent company. For its day, this was an extremely costly car: to the basic chassis price of œ1,985 was added œ1,750 for the Mulliner body, œ317 for the extras and an horrendous œ2,246 in purchase tax, making a total of œ6,298. The Mulliner company was already well-established in 1900 when pioneer motorist H.J.Mulliner-a founder-member of the [Royal] Automobile Club- bought the London-based coachbuilding business where he had been working since 1888 from his cousin Francis Mulliner. In 1908 the 38- year-old H.J.Mulliner sold his company to the Scottish coachbuilder Croall and retired because of ill-health - and survived another 59 years, dying in 1967 at the great age of 97! Rolls-Royce took over the firm of H.J.Mulliner in 1959 and merged it with Park Ward.

[wasif]

Here are details on the Maharaja of Baroda's Bentley. Can't find any pictures of it though. Can anyone add pictures or furhter details on this car.

Does anyone have further info on this car?