[ajmat]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Citroen Birotor from Calicut

Is this really a BiRotor or a normal GS? If the former, it is a very rare car. Citroen bought back most of them and crushed them to avoid liabilities from the Wankel engine failures

[foby.sebastian]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Is this really a BiRotor or a normal GS? If the former, it is a very rare car. Citroen bought back most of them and crushed them to avoid liabilities from the Wankel engine failures

I was told that this is GZ with hydropneumatic suspension, hence assumed "BiRotor".

This one looks more like GS. unlike GZ, flared fenders are not on this.This Cigar brown (BRUN CIGALE) pre ordered Citroen GS Pallas was delivered brand new on Feb 1978 at Leicester, so the chances are less to be a GZ.

The Bi Rotor production stopped in early years itself (1973-1975 not sure) and Citroen bought back most of BiRotor ones, but not all. If this one is the one which survived? It will be quite interesting.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

I was told that this is GZ with hydropneumatic suspension, hence assumed "BiRotor".

This Cigar brown (BRUN CIGALE) pre ordered Citroen GS Pallas was delivered brand new on Feb 1978 at Leicester, so the chances are less to be a GZ.

The Bi Rotor production stopped in early years itself (1973-1975 not sure) and Citroen bought back most of BiRotor ones, but not all. If this one is the one which survived? It will be quite interesting.

Then this is a GS, whatever it is, it is a rare car nowadays and most of them rusted and credit to the owner who has kept the suspension going!

[foby.sebastian]

KLK1000 Chevy, slowly getting back to life.

[foby.sebastian]

Few more pictures of the Chevy

[Thebugdoc]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Few more pictures of the Chevy

Great find Foby ! How do you manage to spot these beauties around Kerala

[foby.sebastian]

Padmini cars being unloaded at Trivandrum airport!

The story behind 'Delivered by Airbus' sticker on Premier Padmini.

Early eighties when the waiting period for a padmini crossed 30 months, Premier automobiles along with Air India came up with a new business strategy.

If paid in foreign currency, the car will be directly supplied to nearest airport for delivery with in thirty days and the long waiting period can be saved.

On February 1 1981, Premier started airlifting brand new Padmini by Airbus from Bombay to Trivandrum. Premier started catering the Kerala market with their cars at the rate of four cars a day by the Airbus.The cars will be delivered in showroom condition at no extra cost and the customer can have the satisfaction of driving home with a zero mileage a few hours after the arrival of the Airbus from Bombay. Earlier the cars used to be driven 1,613 km to Trivandrum.Besides avoiding the wear and tear, a good sum can be saved on fuel expenses and insurance.

The Air India cargo traffic to Trivandrum has registered a 100 per cent increase with the airlifting of Padminis.In order to encourage airlifting of cars, Air India has given a bulk discount of 55 per cent on the normal cargo rate. From Bombay to Trivandrum it costs only Rs 3,000 to airlift a Padmini car which would cost about Rs 2,900 by road. Ambassadors, AI says, find it difficult to fit into the pallete of the Airbus as it is a larger car,no Airbus services from Calcutta.

Due to government limitations unlike now, foreign currency was vital in the growth of industries. The government at that time would not have agreed to convert the profits from the sale of vehicles here into foreign currency.

Since there were a lot of NRI s in Kerala at that time too, the dealer at that time TVS and Sons got 115 bookings only under this scheme ....!

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Padmini cars being unloaded at Trivandrum airport

Since there were a lot of NRI s in Kerala at that time too, the dealer at that time TVS and Sons got 115 bookings only under this scheme ....!

They would have got much more - but Air India/Indian Airlines (then) discontinued the A300 services and introduced the A320, which did not have a pallet base big enough to accommodate a car. They stopped this in 1985 0r 1984

Goof find - the newspaper cutting picture.

Best Regards and Drive Safe

[KartikeyaL]

Originally Posted by travancore

Malabar Commercial Corp seems to have been incorporated in 1911.

Larger pictures shared by Philip Thornton via East India Company & Raj Research Group, 1600-1919

[foby.sebastian]

1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25hp, chassis number GLZ17, originally delivered to Travancore. It survives in the Bhogilal collection.
Ex Travancore palace RR. Thanks to Karl.

[KartikeyaL]

This should be outside Hotel Sealord, Kochi

PC : UWM Libraries

[ajay99]

A w115 with registration number KLA7027 from a 90's malayalam movie.
I think this car still survives but in a different colour ,somewhere in kerala.

[aravind511]

Originally Posted by ajay99

A w115 with registration number KLA7027 from a 90's malayalam movie.
I think this car still survives but in a different colour ,somewhere in kerala.

I have spotted this car in Thodupuzha a couple of times over the last two years, most recently around 2 months back. It's painted dark blue now and still looks pristine. Which movie is this? I can't recollect

[foby.sebastian]

Not sure about the year or occasion

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Not sure about the year or occasion

More details here