[Julian UK]

Lt. Col. Richardson in Poona in 1904.
What is the car? Maybe 1903 Darracq or Panhard-Levassor? It has a curved track rod though and control rods up the steering column. There are about a dozen manufacturers who made cars (many with De Dion Bouton engines) using exactly that style of bonnet and radiator at that time. This radiator slopes and is smaller than many, so it may not be either of the two above.


Photographer unknown.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Chhayanat

With my memory fading, all I can recall now is seeing a picture of Kotwara (Sajid Husain) with the car in Europe. He must have bought it there and brought it to India. This does not necessarily make him the original owner.
Those really interested can ask Muzaffar Ali, the film maker: he is Sajid Husain's son.

If the car was bought in Europe, there is good reason to believe that he was indeed the first owner. Which may also explain why the car wasn't listed in the "Indian Isottas" I had posted. Thanks for the info!
Post the picture if you can find it please!!!

[67Bug]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

What a superb find!

I had only heard of one Isotta in Bombay, but nothing concrete on it.



You will find many images of this car all over the Bombay rally threads. Im told it was owned by the late Mr Chudasama (he passed away a week before the car was entered in the rally for the first time along with his Lincoln continental) and owned by him for donkeys years. I cant comment on the history of the car but Im told it is for sale along with the lincoln.

Yes Karl both the Mercedes 500K and Lincoln are for Sale. I have had the pleasure of seeing both the cars couple of weeks back. Mint condition. The Lincoln it seems had been restored at Swadi and has hardly been driven since. Very original car, black in colour. Have seen a similar one at Mr. Bhogilal's museum. It is a very long car and if I am not mistaken has 12 Cylinders.

Apparently I hear the family is in no hurry to sell the cars but are waiting for the right buyers. The price expected seems to be fairly exhorbitant. I hear (thru unconfirmed resource) 3-4 crore for the Merc and about a crore for the Lincoln.

Will try and click some picture and sent it. There is also a convertible Standard Herald for Sale (green in colour). Quite an original car but has been tinkered by some local mechanics as the cloth of the convertile and the paint job has been quite poorly done. Any Herlad lovers may want to approach for the same.

Cheers,
Sid

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Lt. Col. Richardson in Poona in 1904.

You've made me very happy to see a picture of ye olde Poona Julian. I bet that building is still standing in the Kirkee area or thereabouts.

[Chhayanat]

Originally Posted by travancore

If the car was bought in Europe, there is good reason to believe that he was indeed the first owner. Which may also explain why the car wasn't listed in the "Indian Isottas" I had posted. Thanks for the info!
Post the picture if you can find it please!!!

Originally Posted by Chhayanat

With my memory fading, all I can recall now is seeing a picture of Kotwara (Sajid Husain) with the car in Europe. He must have bought it there and brought it to India. This does not necessarily make him the original owner.

I originally came across the colour picture of the 1929 Sala Isotta-Fraschini Type A on the website of autocollections.com and recognised it from the picture I had taken in the 1960s. The Auto Collections have now sold the car. I gave them all the information I had on the car which is now on the team-bhp forum. They took note of it but never used it because their description still runs as follows: "... it is reputed to have belonged at one time to an Indian prince but the factory records show its first owner to have been Franco Pacchetti of Milan."
The Pacchetti family might have been the original owners but Kotwara certainly returned with the car to India in the 1930s (in view of the picture which I remember seeing). This picture will be in the souvenirs of the vintage car rallies held in Lucknow between 1966-68. Unfortunately, I don't have the souvenir any more.

Incidentally, there was a second-hand car trade in India in the 1930s and we should not assume that all imports were straight from the works. It is true, however, that the Imperial Preference system favoured imports from Britain and the Dominions.

It is possible to build up a story around the car by speculating that the Pacchetti family sold it following the onset of the Great Depression but I will leave historical reconstruction for another day.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Chhayanat

I originally came across the colour picture of the 1929 Sala Isotta-Fraschini Type A on the website of autocollections.com and recognised it from the picture I had taken in the 1960s. The Auto Collections have now sold the car. I gave them all the information I had on the car which is now on the team-bhp forum. They took note of it but never used it because their description still runs as follows: "... it is reputed to have belonged at one time to an Indian prince but the factory records show its first owner to have been Franco Pacchetti of Milan."

They must have used at least some of your valuable info. The pictures on the Auto Collections website still sports the "Kotwara Raj" name above the main licence plate, as it does on the period picture!

[Julian UK]

1910ish Shade from the sun, location unknown, photographer unknown.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

1910ish Shade from the sun, location unknown, photographer unknown.
Attachment 6117

We Indians not only stayed out of the sun, but invented the caravan / motor home too!
(source: unknown - Car could be Bharatpur Rolls Royce Silver Ghost)

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Lt. Col. Richardson in Poona in 1904.
What is the car? Maybe 1903 Darracq or Panhard-Levassor? It has a curved track rod though and control rods up the steering column. There are about a dozen manufacturers who made cars (many with De Dion Bouton engines) using exactly that style of bonnet and radiator at that time. This radiator slopes and is smaller than many, so it may not be either of the two above.
Attachment 5940

Photographer unknown.

Here is the Nizam VII with another early car (Standard Coventry ?)
source: www.rajadeendayal.com

[awini]

Originally Posted by travancore

Here is the Nizam VII with another early car (Standard Coventry ?)
source: www.rajadeendayal.com

Attachment 6426

looks more like A BRASIER to me

[Julian UK]

Well I applied for permission to post this image but its £139 for 1 year. So here's the link, a magnificent 1911 photo including a Lanchester and a Silver Ghost.


Motor Garage [Rampur]

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Well I applied for permission to post this image but its £139 for 1 year. So here's the link, a magnificent 1911 photo including a Lanchester and a Silver Ghost.

Wow, that is a truly magnificent shot!
What is that strange contraption second from left? It reminded me of the Gondal New Engine for a bit.

Julian, I would think these kind of photos would be better suited to the Maharaja thread. Do you agree? Especially since the State is known as well.

[Julian UK]

I think its a "bonnetless" Lanchester, they did a 20hp 4 cylinder and a 28hp six cylinder 1906-1911. A link in the other threads good. I'll put it there as well.
These are from the early 1940s
The Digital South Asia Library - Nahkoda Mosque
The Digital South Asia Library - Looking toward South Strand Road
The Digital South Asia Library - Sealdah Station

[awini]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

I think its a "bonnetless" Lanchester, they did a 20hp 4 cylinder and a 28hp six cylinder 1906-1911. A link in the other threads good. I'll put it there as well.
These are from the early 1940s
The Digital South Asia Library - Nahkoda Mosque
The Digital South Asia Library - Looking toward South Strand Road
The Digital South Asia Library - Sealdah Station

All these pictures were tken during the second world war. all the cars have a white stripe painted on the edges,and the headlamps sport blackout masks.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by awini

All these pictures were tken during the second world war. all the cars have a white stripe painted on the edges,and the headlamps sport blackout masks.

What was the white stripe for? And how come the number plates are in white with black lettering?

Is this the Ravi Kumar/Jackie Shroff 540K? Had this photo for years, cant remember from where I got it.