Team-BHP - Classics of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar

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Originally Posted by harit (Post 3041320)

I have been in this palace many years ago, lovely, lots of wood.
But that car, could this be the Buick Limo which Diljeet Titus brought for the Cartier show? Travancore, can you get a better/larger picture through your sources? Picture courtesey t-bhp and its member:D

Cheers harit

I doubt it a buick, BTW any clue about the place in this snap ?

Sad to see the royal cars out side Kerala :-(

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Originally Posted by foby.sebastian (Post 3041330)

I doubt it a buick, BTW any clue about the place in this snap ?..........(

Why do you doubt that it is a Buick? I still feel that it is a Buick Limo, definitely a GM product as one can see from the silhouette. The place seems to be Padbhanabapuram Palace in 1943 as mentioned, which I believe is near the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border. This is now a Museum.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by harit (Post 3041353)

I have read about a palace buick in local papers which pointed towards this.

The Kerala MVD site have no name of the car listed

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Originally Posted by harit (Post 3041320)

The records shows its a 1938 7 seater petrol with a single owner history but not a palace car either.

It belongs to mr. Menon and I am not sure if he is related to palace

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Originally Posted by harit (Post 3041320)

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Originally Posted by foby.sebastian (Post 3041362)

The records shows its a 1938 7 seater petrol with a single owner history but not a palace car either.

It belongs to mr. Menon and I am not sure if he is related to palace

The KLV1432 Buick has no connection to the Travancore palace,to the best of my info.It was originally Registered in the State of Tamilnadu as MDY-478 and owned by Sree Meenakshi Mills.When it was registered in Kerala in 1969 it got the KLV Number. It was last owned in Kerala by the family of former Manager of Stanes Motors Trivandrum,when I had the good fortune of seeing it in person.It obviously had more than one owner in kerala itself.Considering the fact that the Palace does not buy second hand cars this has no palace connection
There were 3 other vintage cars in the same place.They were a
1928 Austin 12 Tourer-with number KLT-311, 1952 Studebaker bullet nose(front end demolished by a fallen coconut tree)-KLT-3119 and also a Flying Standard tourer
The first 3 cars including the Buick was picked up by a broker from Mumbai for a couple of lakhs in as is where is condition in 2006 or so.

The same family owned a 1947 Buick Convertible left hand KLT Regd which was picked up by a famous restorer,collector and Mumbai Tbhpian in 2001 .This car has made an appearance in several malayalam movies because it was owned in the sixties by the Merryland studios. this car had obviously come from the palace fleet ,but I am not sure of this

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Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 3041493)

The KLV1432 Buick has no connection to the Travancore palace,to the best of my info. It was last owned in Kerala by the family of former Manager of Stanes Motors Trivandrum,

If this is not :OT, werent Stanes Motors originally Standard dealers btw? IIRC, our fellow tbhpian Ram Nair (rnair_tvm) had mentioned his father having bought their mk2 Herald (KLV 33) from the abovementioned dealer. He can confirm if this is correct or not?

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Originally Posted by Stanher (Post 3041580)

Yes, they were the standard dealers in South Kerala,even the bookings/delivery of Standard 2000 was done by them.Their office/building in Trivandrum is still there in rundown state opposite the Accountant General office

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Originally Posted by the mole (Post 3041540)

Great that probably makes her the oldest 180D in the country, Mine is 1956 and the Maharajah of Udaipur also has a identical 180D also 1956.

I am not sure whether it is the oldest 180D in the country but its chassis number is 120110-55-xxxxx. Suppose it will help you confirm it as the oldest!!

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Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 3041493)

Thanks for the update on this car's history.

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Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 3041493)

The KLV1432 Buick has no connection to the Travancore palace,to the best of my info. It was last owned in Kerala by the family of former Manager of Stanes Motors Trivandrum,

That is right I also got it confirmed through the brother of my friend who had worked in Stanes Motors, Trivandrum. as a supervisor in those period. This car was in no way connected with the palace.
The Stanes Motors show room resembled vintage England and was so appealing. Stanes Motors was dealing with Jawa motorcycles and Massey Ferguson tractors too, apart from Standard cars.

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Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 3041590)

I am not sure whether it is the oldest 180D in the country but its chassis number is 120110-55-xxxxx. Suppose it will help you confirm it as the oldest!!

Yes the 55 means that it is 1955 mine is 120110-65-xxxx why were the royals buying diesel cars anyways? I am sure there wasnt much of a price difference in petrol and diesel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 3041493)

The KLV1432 Buick has no connection to the Travancore palace,to the best of my info.It was originally Registered in the State of Tamilnadu as MDY-478 and owned by Sree Meenakshi Mills.............There were 3 other vintage cars in the same place.They were a
1928 Austin 12 Tourer-with number KLT-311, 1952 Studebaker bullet nose(front end demolished by a fallen coconut tree)-KLT-3119 and also a Flying Standard tourer.................The same family owned a 1947 Buick Convertible left hand .......................

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Originally Posted by travancore (Post 3041610)

Thanks for the update on this car's history.

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Originally Posted by rajeev k (Post 3041646)

Just a little provocation and we have the history. Will be useful for the owner too. Thanks guys.
The Buick is now yellow and in Mumbai. The Standard was sent to Kolkata, thereafter I don't know.

Cheers harit