[V-16]

What about the now Titus ex Mallick Minerval AL?

Surely that warrants a mention here.

[awini]

hi Harit bhai and Karl, just for you, my two cents worth,
1. without doubt the Delahaye 135 MS, Jodhpur
2. Daimler, Indra Bhawan, Indore
3. Delage D8s Figoni et Falatchi DHC, lalaji, delhi
4. Pierce Arrow tourer, mallya
5. Packard tourer, Datia
6. Rolls Royce 40/50hp Boat tail tourer, Vizianagaram
7. Bentley 4.25 litre MR, Vanden Plas tourer, jaiswal, delhi
8. Lagonda M45r ex Nath, Indore?
9. Hispano Suiza H6b tourer, Chowdhrie, Delhi
10. Bentley 3.5 litre? Gurney Nutting coupe, Bhigilal
11. Bentley 6.5 litre, Saloon, Jaipur
12. Riley Imp/Elf? roadster, Bhogilal
13. Lanchester 40hp tourer, ex Gondal, Mallya

[karlosdeville]

Can we learn more about this golden bodied Daimler? Pics anyone? My great grandfather took a 50km detour while travelling there decades back to show the car to my father, but he could never find it

Regarding the Gurney Nutting 25/30 Rolls, isn't BRG 1 identical? So out of curiousity what makes this car make the list and that one not? My humble opinion is the car, though gorgeous, isn't as exclusive a model to make the list.

A similar argument for Mallyas Pierce Arrow - there are 3 superb identical cars in India. Thakker in Pune has a much rarer very late model Pierce Arrow, though I dont know which is considered more valuable. 1937-38? Mechanically the car is complete, even trials taken.

We must add the V16 Caddy that Harit mentioned. Can someone consolidate the list?

[wasif]

Can someone upload pics and information on the below mentioned cars, specailly the V16 Caddy and the Bentley 6.5 litre.

[awini]

i think lets keep cars that have left india out, so, no V16, duesenberg, issota,farman, bugatti typ 35 et al. because the best of the best is already gone.
agree with karl, so pierce and packard out of my list, are we including post war cars?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by awini

i think lets keep cars that have left india out, so, no V16, duesenberg, issota,farman, bugatti typ 35 et al. because the best of the best is already gone.

If you see an earlier post of Harit he mentions a V16 Caddy still exists in India, that is the one I refer to.

Lalajis Delage is F&F bodied? Wow! It really doesn't look like their typical work though.

What about the Mysore Hispano displayed at the Naidu museum? I dont know much about them, but Im sure it is quite special.

[DKG]

Awini welcome back !

And guess what - you can check out anytime but you can never leave !!!

[DKG]

Gentlemen are we done posting all possible contenders? Not sure.

Also how does one define exclusivity?

The three Gurney Nutting convertible RR 25/30's are apparently the only three in the world in that bodystyle. The Momen car also has special driving lights accessory if I am not mistaken

The three Pierce Arrows may also be the only ones ever to have the headlights installed in that manner. Usually Pierce Arrows had their lights in the fenders. However that distinction alone may not constitute exclusivity

Being the only one in India cannot surely constitute exclusivity. You have to see the car's rarity across the globe.

We need to agree first on the criteria to be applied

1. Limited production run

2. One of very few surviving

3. Marque - exclusivity and desirability when sold new

4. Custom order / special features

5. Aesthetics / Beauty

Once we can all freeze this list then we can apply a rating system with a vote, perhaps a series of polls and arrive at the consensus on what is the top ten. Until the full exercise is done lets refrain from arbitrarily dismissing cars.

Is the Seth Hukumchand Daimler a double six? I don't think so. It may be a six. Also its a sedan, nothing attractive about the body style. That it is painted in gold is possibly its only claim to fame? I don't know. Does anyone have details of why this car is special?

[awini]

Originally Posted by DKG

Once we can all freeze this list then we can apply a rating system with a vote, perhaps a series of polls and arrive at the consensus on what is the top ten. Until the full exercise is done lets refrain from arbitrarily dismissing cars.

Is the Seth Hukumchand Daimler a double six? I don't think so. It may be a six. Also its a sedan, nothing attractive about the body style. That it is painted in gold is possibly its only claim to fame? I don't know. Does anyone have details of why this car is special?

thanks Deepak bhai, here for only a few and for a short while. the daimler as i understand, is gold plated and not painted. and yes, its not a double six.
apart from the cars already listed, some that come to mind are the thirties Lanchester 8 saloon by vanden plas that was with R.N. Seth, 1908 ish Delauney Belleville ex Darbhanga, in delhi, a very original Rolls Royce Ghost saloon by i think Windovers, with Jodhpur, the Holkar Bentley 3 1/2 liter by gurney Nutting, IF its still in India, and perhaps the talwar lanchester 14 charlsworth tourer, only because its identical to the daimler 14 that won a prize at cartier. one thing is certain though, Gurney Nutting seems to be the most desirable british coachbuilder followed by vanden plas.

[harit]

Now the list can be slightly finetuned.

Delahaye
Daimler Double Six
Lanchester Alwar ( I do not think it has left the country, Awini any info?)
Daimler Seth Hukumchand
Bentley Advocatus
Rolls Nizam Hyderabad

These I am sure no one will object to. We are listing top 10 cars, invaluable and unique in order of desirability. The Golden Daimler is not a double six, but still very unique in this world. And the guy was not even a Maharaja.
Lalaji's Delage, if it is indeed Figoni and Falasci will come in this list. Awini, can you confirm?
Of the three Rolls mentioned by DKG, perhaps one can be included.
What about the King's Daimler in Indore, it has provenance. Please do comment.
RM's Merc K is a 630, definitely not a 680 as attempts have been made. I learnt a lot at the Cartier event at what was attempted. I would still prefer the 540K because it is the earliest production example known in the world.
Criteria, well aesthetics and beauty is not a criteria here. It is provenance, rarity, uniqueness but not asthetics.
If we look at Packards, there is one, the Dharbanga car which is rare worldwide, I believe around 14 were made and 3 survive. But not put in list because it is mine. Datia Packard is superb, but not unique and Mallya Packard unique in India, but available in US.
Another car which struck me was the open tourer daimler Mysore with Pranlal. Please discuss this.
Perhaps we can make a list of 10 cars, and then expand with another list of the next 25 cars. Lets think about that also.
Cheers

[karlosdeville]

Here is a rather large list taking most previous suggestions. We can further prune it later once new additions are frozen.


Delahaye Jodhpur
Daimler Double Six UP
Daimler Golden body Indore (Seth Hukumchand)
Daimler ex Darbhanga at Cartier
Bentley Advocatus
Marmon Indore
Mercedes 540K Pune
Lagonda (Seth)
RR Phantom II Continental
V12 Lagonda with Awini
Packard Twin Six with Mallya
Invicta S1 with Bhogilal
6 1/2 litre Bentley Saloon, Jaipur
1912 RR Throne Car of the Nizam
1906 Napiers of the Nizam
Mercedes Type K of Mallya
Maybach of Kolhapur
Cord Supercharged convertible
Minerva - Diljeet Titus
Delage D8s Figoni et Falatchi DHC, lalaji, delhi
Rolls Royce 40/50hp Boat tail tourer, Vizianagaram
Bentley 4.25 litre MR, Vanden Plas tourer, jaiswal, delhi
Hispano Suiza H6b tourer, Chowdhrie, Delhi
Bentley 3.5 litre? Gurney Nutting coupe, Bhogilal
Lanchester 40hp tourer, ex Gondal, Mallya
Cadillac V 16, South
Lanchester Alwar

[DKG]

Are there no Alfa's in India? I mean the 8C. I once read one may have come to India

Also of all the Rolls in India only the Nizam's, the Continental, and the Vizianagaram RR make it to the list? Surely some more special order cars must remain

How many PII coupes were built? The Jodhpur car is rare is it not?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by DKG

Are there no Alfa's in India? I mean the 8C. I once read one may have come to India

I think Holkar had one, but not sure if it came to India.

If the Napier figures on the list, how about the Darracq of Mallya?

[DKG]

Just to illustrate lets take the Delahaye for example.

Limited production run (7)x10=70

One of very few surviving (5)x10=50

Marque - exclusivity and desirability when sold new (10)x10=100

Custom order / special features (8) 10=80

Design / Body Style / Aesthetics (9) 10=90

This gives a total score for the car 390

Now as we do for all the other cars a list will automatically emerge

[TractionAvant]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

If the Napier figures on the list, how about the Darracq of Mallya?

Napier was one of the formost British makers. They dominated the early Gordon Bennet races. In fact, if Rolls-Royce had not played dirty at the last minute, they would have ended up with the Bentley marque in 1931.

If I am not mistaken, they were the first to offer a six cylinder engine.

Aditya