Calcutta-Collector/Restorers-Shashi Kanoria

karlosdeville · 19th March 2009, 09:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by TractionAvant

Andre Citroen was the founder of Citroen. I dont think the cars were ever called 'Andre Citroen' (could be wrong here). Perhaps cars made before the Michelin takeover are called thus?

It is probably a term that has gained acceptance over time, like W O Bentleys and Adam Opels.

wasif · 19th March 2009, 10:26

Great job on the Citroen. These cars are not actually known as Andre Citroen but people use this term to distinguish early Citroen cars from those made after the takeover.

What about the bumpers. They have an uncanny resemblance to those seen on an orange Auburn. What a coensidence that two manifacturers from two different corners of the world were using the same bumpers on their cars !!!

Traction Avant

I think the Bentley in question is a later Derby Bentley of either 3.5 or 4.25 liter capacity six cylinder engine. The dating looks to be in question.

This car was at the Cartier event so details on it should be available in the thread dedicated to this event.

TractionAvant · 19th March 2009, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasif

Traction Avant

I think the Bentley in question is a later Derby Bentley of either 3.5 or 4.25 liter capacity six cylinder engine. The dating looks to be in question.

This car was at the Cartier event so details on it should be available in the thread dedicated to this event.

You are right

I checked, it was listed as a 1934 model at the Cartier show. I guess that would make it a 3.5 litre, since the 4.25 came later.

Thanks for clearing that up.

BTW, that would make this the last Bentley model that WO had anything to do with.

Aditya

harit · 19th March 2009, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by TractionAvant

Thanks for the pictures Srivardhan, it is always interesting to see before, after & work-in-progress pictures

. I must say you do some excellent work.
1931 would make this either an 8 or a 4 litre. It clearly is not an 8 and I thought there were'nt any 4 litres in India ????

Andre Citroen was the founder of Citroen. I dont think the cars were ever called 'Andre Citroen' (could be wrong here). Perhaps cars made before the Michelin takeover are called thus?

Kind regards

Aditya

This looks like PKA's car.
In many old car books, the name was put as Andre Citroen, and I remember one particular pic of a very similar car with a gent wearing a hat and 1919 mentioned. I would be worthwhile to check if she is really 1919, not that I have a doubt on this particular car but many car owners tend to put year of manufacture of the year this model started production. I have seen that in Fiats too.
The headlights are slightly too grand, otherwise the car is like a Franklin Mint model.

Shrivardhan · 19th March 2009, 20:12

Hi all, as regards to the bumpers of the Andre Citroen, they came with the car. Comparing it with Auburn, I argue that even many RRs have similar bumpers. My 20hp, the Udaipur 20hp and the 20/25 owned by a family in Kolkata have similar bumbers. So what does this say about three different cars, from US, UK and Paris? This might have been the standardised design in that era which maybe unknown to us, so nothing fishy about it. Secondly the bumper ends are same as the grease caps on the wheels, carrieng a faded Citroen logo (due to persistant brightwork). This car was certainly not owned by PKA. As for the name "Andre", I agree on the comment that this would distinguish the cars prior to the takeover, which was common in that era. Yes, this is a early car out of the company, and was built in 1919. Thanks for all the comments, there would be very many posts to follow which would be a treat to we petrolheads. Cheerz!

Shrivardhan · 19th March 2009, 20:16

Hi all, talking in regards to the Bentley, yes it was my mistake. It is a 1934 3.5lt. Cheerz!

Shrivardhan · 19th March 2009, 20:52

Hello everybody,
These are pictures of the 1923 Fiat Roadster. This car is a part of our collection and was restored by us last year. As you can see the car was a wreck, and restoration was done ground-up.

This involved a lot of wood work, bodywork, mechanicals, etc. The artilliary wheels were so cooroded that it was beyond repairs. Therefore we 'made' these wheels out of Magnesium alloy, in a friend's foundary. The outcome is that these fabricated rims are much more lighter and durable than the originals.

Well it is said that such cars were used in racing circuits in the yester-years, by modifying the body and making it aerodynamic. The engine has huge amount of torque and the vehicle is pretty fast for its age. This car won the Best Restored Trophy in the Kolkata Rally, this year. Cheerz!

Shrivardhan · 19th March 2009, 21:13

Hey Friends,
These are pictures one of my favourites from our collection. Its the 1949 MG TC. This particular car was one of the last TCs built. We bought and restored this car two years back. The car was almost brought in bits and pieces, and was restored ground-up, as you can see. Many pictures show Mr.Shashi Kanoria, working himself. This is unlikely many collectors think twice before blackening their hands. This is true love. I have had the privalige to learn alot under him, and needless to say am very proud.

The car is with us thanks to Dad's closest friend who is my uncle, Subhash chacha. He dealt on our behalf over dinner with his friend, who was the prevous owner, and I was ready with the consideration and the crain at 6am in the morning, before Calcutta woke up. By 7 the car was is my stable and the Calcutta likemindids were banging their heads. I recently upgraded the car with chrome rims. This is the only TC to have a double sparewheel in India, which people want to copy now. The conversion kit was sourced from UK, from a gentleman who used TCs for racing in his hey days. This was rare and genuine.

Even this car has bucket seats which were again a period conversion, from the ugly bench seats. Every detail of the car has been restored to original standards, by reffering to important manuals. This is a jewel! Cheerz!

Shrivardhan · 20th March 2009, 01:03

Hello everybody, Cama tiama? (Practicing Spanish- How are you? I guess,haha) Well these pictures are of the oldest beauty from my collection. This is a 1906 Renault Freres. Twin cylinders- all firing. This has been with us since donkeys years. The car was restored in the early 70s by Dad, and then all through the 80s, it was lying un attended due to a major engine fault. A massive restoration job was carried on 3 years back, as the body had decayed over the years, and the mechanicals needed serous attention. Now the car is as good as new and is one of the best Edwardian runners in India. I drive it around regularly inspite of the wooden beaded edged wheels. The car is still having original horse leather aphoulstry, the hood was changed in the 70s though. All the brass ornaments are intact and the P&H lamps are even working. Just an information for the enthusiasts, please research deeper into the history of the so called 1901 Renault in the south. I know what that car was and is, as the prevous owner was my friend and the car was offered to me, and would not like to comment on the authenticity. Our Renault could not attend the rally this year as I was not in India, and at the moment nobody else is permitted to drive the car. Dad drove it all through the 70s but he says that he has lost the patients to drive it, which I think is not true. Cheerz!

DKG · 20th March 2009, 09:32

Shrivardhan thanks a ton for so willingly sharing information and pictures of the priceless cars in your family's collection. It truly is admirable your father has personally worked on many of the cars and supervised every detail of restoration.

from a fellow enthusiast and I hope to meet you guys someday

john a milne · 20th March 2009, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG

Shrivardhan thanks a ton for so willingly sharing information and pictures of the priceless cars in your family's collection. It truly is admirable your father has personally worked on many of the cars and supervised every detail of restoration.

from a fellow enthusiast and I hope to meet you guys someday

I have to add to this comment and share with you the remarkable character of this gentleman. As his works are close by I often drop by to have a visit and see what's happening. It's like a big hobby room with all their toys parked around. Some ready to go to the Ball, others waiting patently to be "done-up" and usually two in the process of being reborn.

Reminds me of my Cousin Wes Thompson Jr's 6,000 sq. ft. Showroom, Works and Party Room. He lives in the small town where RM Auctions are located and collects fire-engines, has about 12, the oldest a 1924 La France, the biggest a 60' ladder truck with steering in the back that he purchased in the southern U.S. and drove 700 miles home. Shashi's works may not be as big and grand but it has the same sense of contentment, well being and purpose. Wes' dad has a smaller "works" for his 20 odd cars, the oldest a 1904 Cadillac 90% original and the Packard that the Mayor of New York gave to Charles Lindbergh after flying the Atlantic. Wes Sr. had a ground up restoration done by a small shop in town spending over 1900 hours on it. As fine as any restoration that I have seen.

Shashi has a very deep knowledge that is not just academic, but very much hands on that goes a long way back and he has seen many fabulous cars pass through the families hands. His attention to detail and the way he works with and respects his crew is a pleasure to watch. He is a problem solver and will spend hours on small details that no one will ever see. While there is a lot of competition amongst the Big Collectors here for the Statesman Trophies, it is great to see how much respect he is holds.

The close working relationship, love, respect and passion that he and his son share is for me "the icing on a magnificent cake" and few people I know that are able to "Eat their Cake and still keep it".

I hope many of you will have the opportunity of spending some time in their "Oasis" as i have been fortunate to do.

Another comment I would like to share is how very fortunate you are in India to be able to undertake restoration projects that would be unthinkable in N.A., many of our collectors do all their own work and it while it reflects the inherent nature of our sense of independence and pride of doing things for our selves, I also have to add it is an economic necessity. The going shop rates for body, mechanical and electrical runs between $50-100 per hour. The big Car Dealerships rates in Toronto run $85-110. RM Auctions, being located in a rural area where salaries are lower only charges $65. per hour.

I am so pleased that Shrivardhan has bee posting so many photos and look forward to checking out Team BHP when I am back in Toronto.

Cheers

P.S. I've rambled a little, not sure if it is old age or just a lot of enthusiasm.

karlosdeville · 20th March 2009, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by john a milne

Reminds me of my Cousin Wes Thompson Jr's 6,000 sq. ft. Showroom, Works and Party Room. He lives in the small town where RM Auctions are located and collects fire-engines, has about 12, the oldest a 1924 La France, the biggest a 60' ladder truck with steering in the back that he purchased in the southern U.S. and drove 700 miles home.

Then you must show him these posts.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/638045-post5.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/797244-post162.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1144619-post5.html

hillram · 20th March 2009, 14:09

The Fiat Raodstar looks awesome and what more..its from Hyderabad marked registration.Beautiful restoration.

Stanher · 20th March 2009, 15:20

Lovely pics. shrivardhan! Especially the Renault!

Btw, those hubaps on the wall- are those all for a collection only or to be fitted on some current projects??

OT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrivardhan

Hello everybody, Cama tiama? (Practicing Spanish- How are you? I guess,haha)

I guess its Como Eres, or Coma'sta?

Shrivardhan · 20th March 2009, 16:51

Thank you everybody,
Good comments are always encouraging. As for the hubcaps on the wall, we have a collection of almost 300 hubcabs which are all on the walls of the works because of two reasons. Firstly it looks good and secondly it saves them from dents which usaly occur if stacked. Since I also take interest in Automobilia, I keep my walls covered with period signs and paintings. I should specialy thank John uncle who regularly visits our motor home and boosts up our spirit. There would be more to follow shortly. Cheerz!

19th March 2009, 10:26	#47
wasif Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Abu Dhabi (for now) Posts: 2,957 Thanked: 400 Times	Great job on the Citroen. These cars are not actually known as Andre Citroen but people use this term to distinguish early Citroen cars from those made after the takeover. What about the bumpers. They have an uncanny resemblance to those seen on an orange Auburn. What a coensidence that two manifacturers from two different corners of the world were using the same bumpers on their cars !!! Traction Avant I think the Bentley in question is a later Derby Bentley of either 3.5 or 4.25 liter capacity six cylinder engine. The dating looks to be in question. This car was at the Cartier event so details on it should be available in the thread dedicated to this event.
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 20:12	#50
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Hi all, as regards to the bumpers of the Andre Citroen, they came with the car. Comparing it with Auburn, I argue that even many RRs have similar bumpers. My 20hp, the Udaipur 20hp and the 20/25 owned by a family in Kolkata have similar bumbers. So what does this say about three different cars, from US, UK and Paris? This might have been the standardised design in that era which maybe unknown to us, so nothing fishy about it. Secondly the bumper ends are same as the grease caps on the wheels, carrieng a faded Citroen logo (due to persistant brightwork). This car was certainly not owned by PKA. As for the name "Andre", I agree on the comment that this would distinguish the cars prior to the takeover, which was common in that era. Yes, this is a early car out of the company, and was built in 1919. Thanks for all the comments, there would be very many posts to follow which would be a treat to we petrolheads. Cheerz!
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 20:16	#51
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Hi all, talking in regards to the Bentley, yes it was my mistake. It is a 1934 3.5lt. Cheerz!
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 20:52	#52
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Hello everybody, These are pictures of the 1923 Fiat Roadster. This car is a part of our collection and was restored by us last year. As you can see the car was a wreck, and restoration was done ground-up. This involved a lot of wood work, bodywork, mechanicals, etc. The artilliary wheels were so cooroded that it was beyond repairs. Therefore we 'made' these wheels out of Magnesium alloy, in a friend's foundary. The outcome is that these fabricated rims are much more lighter and durable than the originals. Well it is said that such cars were used in racing circuits in the yester-years, by modifying the body and making it aerodynamic. The engine has huge amount of torque and the vehicle is pretty fast for its age. This car won the Best Restored Trophy in the Kolkata Rally, this year. Cheerz! Attached Images
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 21:13	#53
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Hey Friends, These are pictures one of my favourites from our collection. Its the 1949 MG TC. This particular car was one of the last TCs built. We bought and restored this car two years back. The car was almost brought in bits and pieces, and was restored ground-up, as you can see. Many pictures show Mr.Shashi Kanoria, working himself. This is unlikely many collectors think twice before blackening their hands. This is true love. I have had the privalige to learn alot under him, and needless to say am very proud. The car is with us thanks to Dad's closest friend who is my uncle, Subhash chacha. He dealt on our behalf over dinner with his friend, who was the prevous owner, and I was ready with the consideration and the crain at 6am in the morning, before Calcutta woke up. By 7 the car was is my stable and the Calcutta likemindids were banging their heads. I recently upgraded the car with chrome rims. This is the only TC to have a double sparewheel in India, which people want to copy now. The conversion kit was sourced from UK, from a gentleman who used TCs for racing in his hey days. This was rare and genuine. Even this car has bucket seats which were again a period conversion, from the ugly bench seats. Every detail of the car has been restored to original standards, by reffering to important manuals. This is a jewel! Cheerz! Attached Images
	() Thanks

20th March 2009, 01:03	#54
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Hello everybody, Cama tiama? (Practicing Spanish- How are you? I guess,haha) Well these pictures are of the oldest beauty from my collection. This is a 1906 Renault Freres. Twin cylinders- all firing. This has been with us since donkeys years. The car was restored in the early 70s by Dad, and then all through the 80s, it was lying un attended due to a major engine fault. A massive restoration job was carried on 3 years back, as the body had decayed over the years, and the mechanicals needed serous attention. Now the car is as good as new and is one of the best Edwardian runners in India. I drive it around regularly inspite of the wooden beaded edged wheels. The car is still having original horse leather aphoulstry, the hood was changed in the 70s though. All the brass ornaments are intact and the P&H lamps are even working. Just an information for the enthusiasts, please research deeper into the history of the so called 1901 Renault in the south. I know what that car was and is, as the prevous owner was my friend and the car was offered to me, and would not like to comment on the authenticity. Our Renault could not attend the rally this year as I was not in India, and at the moment nobody else is permitted to drive the car. Dad drove it all through the 70s but he says that he has lost the patients to drive it, which I think is not true. Cheerz! Attached Thumbnails Attached Images
	() Thanks

20th March 2009, 09:32	#55
DKG Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 3,707 Thanked: 1,049 Times View My Garage	Shrivardhan thanks a ton for so willingly sharing information and pictures of the priceless cars in your family's collection. It truly is admirable your father has personally worked on many of the cars and supervised every detail of restoration. from a fellow enthusiast and I hope to meet you guys someday
	() Thanks

20th March 2009, 14:09	#58
hillram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 2,930 Thanked: 1,267 Times View My Garage	The Fiat Raodstar looks awesome and what more..its from Hyderabad marked registration.Beautiful restoration.
	() Thanks

20th March 2009, 16:51	#60
Shrivardhan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 52 Thanked: 23 Times	Shrivardhan Kanoria Thank you everybody, Good comments are always encouraging. As for the hubcaps on the wall, we have a collection of almost 300 hubcabs which are all on the walls of the works because of two reasons. Firstly it looks good and secondly it saves them from dents which usaly occur if stacked. Since I also take interest in Automobilia, I keep my walls covered with period signs and paintings. I should specialy thank John uncle who regularly visits our motor home and boosts up our spirit. There would be more to follow shortly. Cheerz!
	() Thanks

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