[Julian UK]

With the help of Neil Fraser we have managed to identify the following Derby Bentleys and one W O Bentley:


Derby Bentley #B24 BN engine no.#J6BR 1935 3 1/2 litre Antem DHC 1st owner Nicky Embiricos






Derby Bentley #B50 FB engine no #B7BE 1935 3 ½ litre Vanden Plas Tourer 3396 1st owner K S Numal Kumar Singhji of Bhavnagar






Derby Bentley #B95 EJ engine no. #N8BR 1935 3 ½ litre Park Ward DHC 1st owner V L Ethiraj






Derby Bentley #B91 DK engine no.# A5BD 1935 3 ½ litre Park Ward Saloon Allied Motors 1st owner RS Chenai








W O Bentley 8 litre 1931 #YF 5014 engine no #YF 5014 1st body A Mulliner Saloon 2nd body India 1st owner E G Guest




All photos on team-bhp especially courtesy of Harit, Karlosdeville.

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by DKG

Julian could you please throw more light on B104MR Park Ward All Weather which doesn't appear in your list above. Who imported that car into India originally? Like Karlos mentioned both this and the green RR have a state number starting with J

This is Derby Bentley Chassis #B104 MR Eng. no.T3BU 1939 3 1/2 Park Ward All Weather (special converted 4 seater) Body no. B296 1st owner H H Moazzam Jah of Hyderabad
According to the Bentley records. What happened later ought to have been recorded somewhere?
I'm afraid it somehow vanished from the list. Damn keyboard
A very nice car indeed, originally finished in light blue with polished aluminium mudguards. I would like to see it with the hood up as the rear door windows are the same outline as the front ones.
Here is a Park Ward photograph along with a rally photo already in this thread.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

special converted 4 seater

What does that imply? Did Park Ward first build this car as a sedan and converted it to a convertible for the prince? or was it bought as a sedan and converted in India?

1st owner H H Moazzam Jah of Hyderabad

My goodness, between both the brothers some awesome machines did grace the roads of Hyderabad

What happened later ought to have been recorded somewhere?

Could you elaborate please

A very nice car indeed, originally finished in light blue with polished aluminium mudguards. I would like to see it with the hood up as the rear door windows are the same outline as the front ones.

That must have been a stunning colour combination. My father tells me Raja Dhanrajgir too had a Phantom, not sure a I or a II with a similar colour combination. Light blue body and bonnet sides, buffed aluminium bonnet top and fenders. He doesn't remember the wheel colour, but vaguely recalls on black walled tyres he feels the spokes may have been chromed. He tells me the car was particularly striking in this colour combination.

Mauzamjah's Bentley must've looked stunning

Thanks Julian. What would we do without you!!

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by DKG

What does that imply? Did Park Ward first build this car as a sedan and converted it to a convertible for the prince? or was it bought as a sedan and converted in India?

In “Bentley, The Silent Sports car” it says this:
“A most unusual Park Ward all weather body, built for Prince Moazzam Jah. Described by Park Ward as a ‘boat design with concealed head’, it was finished in light blue with polished aluminium wings and a white hood. The side window to the rear door (of the same outline as the front) commenced several inches back from the leading edge of the door, which meant the hood had to descend to the waist moulding between the front and rear windows, giving the car a most unconventional appearance with the hood raised”
The Bentley records state this under body type:
“Specially converted 4 seater” Body number B296
It was built by Park Ward like this. The only one of its kind.

Maybe someone somewhere has some knowledge of the ownership of the car after its time in Hyderabad.
Also DKG, can't you ask the family for any photos or details? They probably have many photos from that time?


Also this has to be Derby Bentley #B194 FB Engine No.#H3BY 1936 3 1/2 litre Gurney Nutting Aerofoil Coupe which belonged to HH Maharajah Holkar of Indore. Now in Autoworld. Thanks to Neil Fraser for confirming.
There were only 2 of these 3 1/2 litres and the other one hasn't been in India for quite a while.


Photo from team-bhp Bentley thread

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

They probably have many photos from that time?

They do and I have requested the estate to fish out any car/transport vehicle pictures possible as I recommended a photo essay on the cars in the family and in use officially along with the display of the cars. They haven't come up with anything interesting as yet. Infact we seem to be doing a better job here!

[Julian UK]

This is Bentley Mk VI B42AK 1947 H.J. Mulliner 4-seat Drophead Coupe bought by His Highness the Maharajah Sir Pratapsinha Gaekwar of Baroda, GCIE. It never came to India was kept at his English home at Headley Grove, Epsom. It was sold to Hoffmans Ltd in 1951.


Photo borrowed slightly from Bonhams Sept 3 2004 goodwood auction for a very good cause

And this is his 1946 Bentley Mk VI B8AK Vanden Plas Saloon photo posted by DKG earlier in the thread, I think they ought to be together.

[Julian UK]

A card from H H S.N.Singh The Raja of Tirwa, the well known car enthusiast and photographer showing a photo of 1936 Bentley B51GP Hooper Coupe Cabriolet of H H Maharaja of Nabha taken at the Delhi Rally of 1992 prior to its restoration in UK.



An Enlargement

Courtesy of Mr. R.N.Seth

[Julian UK]

Here are some of the Bentley Mk VI, R Type and R type Continental cars ordered by Indian Royalty
Some of the cars didn’t come to India. This list is a work in progress..

Year Chassis No. Eng. No. Body First owner

R type Continentals
1954 Feb #BC10C BCC10 H J Mulliner Sports Saloon Maharajah of Indore Reg USA
1954 Feb #BC31C BCC30 H J Mulliner Sports Saloon HH Princess of Berar Reg USA

R Types
1953 Jul #B5TO B3T Freestone and Webb 4 door saloon Maharajah of Morvi Reg UK NXY 629
1954 May #B218UM B234U Abbott 2 door saloon Maharajah of Jaipur Reg UK OXR 4
1953 #B31TO Bentley Standard steel 4 D Saloon Pakistan (Post #99)

MK VI
1946 Oct #B8AK B6A Vanden Plas 4 door saloon Maharajah of Baroda (Post #5)
1947 Apr #B30AK B17A H J Mulliner 4D 4L saloon Maharani of Baroda
1947 Aug #B42AK B37A H J Mulliner DHC Maharajah of Baroda UK only Reg AH 1111 (post #156)
1948 Aug #B125AJ B192A James Young 2 Door Saloon Maharajah of Mysore
1948 Nov #B364BH B182B Park Ward DHC Maharajah of Cooch Bihar
1948 Oct #B273BG B336B H J Mulliner DHC Maharani of Baroda
1949 Apr #B438CF B219C Park Ward DHC Maharajah of Mysore Reg. RJD 101 N.Dossa (Post #18 & #119)
1950 Feb #B214EY B107E Gurney Nutting Sedanca “tear drop” coupe Maharajah of Mysore Apte exported (Post #77 & #81)
1949 Nov #B216EY B108E H J Mulliner DHC 5030 Maharajah of Mysore Reg. BYH 2775 Jeejeebhoy (Post #15)
1949 Nov #B294EY B147E Hooper 4 Light Saloon Maharajah of Mysore Reg. MRJ 3371 Poonawalla (Post #18)
1949 Sept #B486EY B243E Park Ward DHC Maharajah of Morvi Reg UK KXL 687
1949 Dec #B47EW B273E Hooper Sedanca “tear drop” Coupe Maharajah of Mysore exported (Post #84 & #85)
1951 Jun #B94KM B47K H J Mulliner 4 Door Saloon Nawab of Bahawalpur Reg UK XMC 128
1951 Jul #B171KL B185K Park Ward DHC Maharajah of Darbhanga Reg BRG 775 (post #11)
1952 Jan #B6LJ B3L Park Ward DHC HH Prince of Berar
1952 Jun #B277MB B338M Park Ward Fixed Head Coupe H H Yuvarajah of Pithapuram

There’s another Standard steel in post #21
Modifications and additions by experts welcome.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Here are some of the Bentley Mk VI, R Type and R type Continental cars ordered by Indian Royalty
Some of the cars didn’t come to India. This list is a work in progress..

Year Chassis No. Eng. No. Body First owner

R type Continentals
1954 Feb #BC10C BCC10 H J Mulliner Sports Saloon Maharajah of Indore Reg USA
1954 Feb #BC31C BCC30 H J Mulliner Sports Saloon HH Princess of Berar Reg USA

You are getting very good at this Julian!

Attached is a picture of BC10C (car in background). Source: http://www.continental.org.uk/index.htm

They have detailed histories of most Continental "R" Types.

[speedy]

here is the picture of one of the two bentleys oned by my father. this is a tear drop coupe.
some of the family Rolls Royces and Bentleys

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by speedy

here is the picture of one of the two bentleys oned by my father. this is a tear drop coupe.

The Bentley appears to be MRZ 7000, the ex Mysore then later Apte Bentley. Apte took this car to the UK and had it there for some time as well. So your father owned the car before Apte?

[Julian UK]

In Post #160
1949Bentley MK VI #B214 EY Gurney Nutting “Tear drop” Sedanca coupe ex Mysore


And below right to left is
1935 Derby Bentley #B50 FB Vanden Plas Tourer ex-Bhavnagar
1935 Derby Bentley #B91 DK Park Ward Saloon 1st owner R S Chenai
1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III #3BT75 Windovers Saloon ex-Chhota Udaipur
1923 Roll-Royce 20hp #85K6 Hooper 2 seater ex Hyderabad
1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III #3BU82 Hooper Sedanca de Ville ex Nabha
Can’t really see beyond that.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

The Bentley appears to be MRZ 7000, the ex Mysore then later Apte Bentley. Apte took this car to the UK and had it there for some time as well. So your father owned the car before Apte?

yes my father owned it for a brief period and since Apte's are family friends and uncle liked the car and pestered my father, so he gave it to him. the car was taken to their U.K. and then sold there itself. that time my father could only afford one car at a time and would use them for a brief period and give them to Mr.Bhogilal. one such example is BMX 4472.

[travancore]

Julian or I may have earlier posted this picture of the Bharatpur Garages, Cars left to right are:

The ex-Mysore (?) / Bharatpur Bentley (RJD-101)
The ex-Idar / Karauli / Bharatpur Farman A6B and
The ex-Mysore / Bharatpur RR Silver Wraith (RJD-103)

[Julian UK]

One of the remaining unidentified India Derby Bentleys is 1935 Gurney Nutting Drop head coupe #B197 BL engine no. Y5BD. The original owner was the Nawab of Rampur. This car has a particularly elegant body.
There is a photo in post #21 page 2 of this thread of the front of a Derby Bentley in a garage possibly in Madhya Pradesh. A Xoticars photo posted by Karl. It is hard to see the body in the photo but the 3 ½ litre small side lights are visible. Could this be the same car…
Has anyone else seen this car? What was the body? Was it a Drop Head Coupe?
Here is the photo and a factory photo of #B197 BL. It is a long shot but maybe someone has also seen this car and can help?



Photo from team-bhp courtesy of Xoticars/Karl and Gurney Nutting.