[mbz180]

Hi all, this past Sunday night, I had a wedding of a cousin's to attend in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. His father and their ancestors were the zamindar's of a town in the district and they have still managed to retain some of the artefacts including the original mansion where they live in. I've been to their place once before, around 10 years ago and I remember seeing a photograph along a staircase of a really early car. So this time when I went I was hoping that it would still be there to take some flicks for bhp.

Since I forgot to take my camera, I had to make do with a cellphone under low light conditions hence the flash reflection.

The car is a big car, a rare French car, Delaunay Belleville. This particular car carries a 'Rois des Belges' body style, so named as it was popularized by the Kind of the Belgians. Some quick research on the net says its a model F4 or F6. What I find most unique about Delaunay's were there completely round/cylindrical bonnets and radiator. These early cars were favourites of both the Belgian and Russian royal families.

More about this car, note the number 665 painted directly onto the radiator in sports car style and the zamindar sitting in the back, evidently after shooting down a tiger. My uncle (the current owner of the house), says that tigers were somewhat common in this district as nearly a 100 years ago, these areas were heavily forested. Also note the all white tyres (or maybe it's just clay-mud coated).This is the only pic of the car, the dates in Bengali under the photo read 1908 and I'm 99.9% sure the car didn't survive but enjoy the pics and sorry for my ramblings!

(These photos are from one photo so they are repetitive but I've tried different angles).

[harit]

Originally Posted by mbz180

............The car is a big car, a rare French car, Delaunay Belleville. This particular car carries a 'Rois des Belges' body style,....................

Lovely find. If you look through old albums you may find some more. There is a Delaunay-Belleville surviving in Delhi, it was a royal car, now blue in colour possibly ex-Dharbanga, lazy to look it up. Please try to take a decent photo, even professionally done for preservation of this image. At a wedding a photographer should have been present.....
The registration is the typical numerical series seen in the regions of Bengal.

Cheers harit

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by mbz180

Hi all, this past Sunday night, I had a wedding of a cousin's to attend in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. His father and their ancestors were the zamindar's of a town in the district and they have still managed to retain some of the artefacts including the original mansion where they live in. I've been to their place once before, around 10 years ago and I remember seeing a photograph along a staircase of a really early car. So this time when I went I was hoping that it would still be there to take some flicks for bhp.

Thanks for sharing, it is super shot.

Looking at the rear wheel and fall of light, I am tempted to say its a staged image, or heavily touched up. Nothing wrong there, mind you, a common practise for the time. I am subject to correction of course.

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Thanks for sharing, it is super shot.

Looking at the rear wheel and fall of light, I am tempted to say its a staged image, or heavily touched up. Nothing wrong there, mind you, a common practise for the time. I am subject to correction of course.

Thanks Karl.

Regarding the image, when I look close, I see a tiny part of the bottom of the rear wheel actually below the mud; the front tyre is more sunken in the mud so maybe not a staged image but I do agree that the image is likely touched up. Even the outline of the branches of the trees behind the car seem to be touched up. And somehow the tiger looks a little fake to me though I'd like to know other's views on this. But the car and the people are real, for sure!

[Elegant Pig]

Hi

I got this picture from Mr. Subhash Bashte of Ratnagiri. It shows Mr. Bashte's grandfather sitting on the running-board (foot-board?) of one of his two trucks, both seen in the picture. It seems the gentleman had his own transport company, operating mainly in Ratnagiri district (of those days, including present-day Sindhudurg district, too), but often plying to Kolhapur, and occasionally, even coming all the way to Mumbai.

I shall check with Mr. Bashte about the exact make of the two trucks and let you know. Though I'm sure many of our Team BHP veterans would have identified them long before that!

Mr. Subhash Bashte, now 70, has his own auto workshop in the heart of Ratnagiri. He has had a long (and colourful!) association with automobiles, starting from Mumbai, in the early sixties, and continuing in Ratnagiri thereafter! But, more about all that later...

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Elegant Pig

I got this picture from Mr. Subhash Bashte of Ratnagiri. It shows Mr. Bashte's grandfather sitting on the running-board (foot-board?) of one of his two trucks, both seen in the picture.

That's an excellent picture, thanks for sharing. Any more?

The truck on the right appears to be a Chevy of the mid to late 1920s. Not sure about the other. The registration W 2252 is Bombay State of the 1920s.

Originally Posted by Elegant Pig

Mr. Subhash Bashte, now 70, has his own auto workshop in the heart of Ratnagiri. He has had a long (and colourful!) association with automobiles, starting from Mumbai, in the early sixties, and continuing in Ratnagiri thereafter! But, more about all that later...

Looking forward to more details and hopefully images too.

[harit]

Originally Posted by Elegant Pig

Hi, I got this picture from Mr. Subhash Bashte ........ of one of his two trucks, both seen in the picture. It seems the gentleman had his own transport company, operating mainly in Ratnagiri district (of those days, including present-day Sindhudurg district, too), but often plying to Kolhapur, and occasionally, even coming all the way to Mumbai.......Mr. Subhash Bashte, now 70, has his own auto workshop ......

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

........... The truck on the right appears to be a Chevy of the mid to late 1920s. Not sure about the other. The registration W 2252 is Bombay State of the 1920s. Looking forward to more details and hopefully images too.

Elegant Pig, and Karlos, first "the more detaisl" sought by Karl. It clearly appears that this is the scene of an accident between a bus, and a Chevy truck. Look at the front wheel of the bus. Therefore, pictured is the aftermath of an accident.
I would say that the Chevy truck maybe even late 1920's, but the registration is of the early 1930's. I have lots of photos of similar busses from that era, these vehicles were very often converted to people carriers like today we have the Jeeps, Sumo's, Tracks, Tata Ace etc., lower end mass carriers.
I have a feeling that the story that both vehicles belonged to him may not be correct as it is very rare for an owner to have both his vehicles collide with each other, though a friend managed to dash one of his cars against the other.
But yet, he had a workshop, how suiting to this event.
I just love photos from this era, hopefully more will come.

Cheers harit

[KPS]

Originally Posted by harit

Elegant Pig, and Karlos, first "the more detaisl" sought by Karl. It clearly appears that this is the scene of an accident between a bus, and a Chevy truck. Look at the front wheel of the bus. Therefore, pictured is the aftermath of an accident.
Cheers harit

Here is an another angle. The front axle of the bus broke and he came in his truck to repair it. I am speculating this story because there is no body damage on the bus and truck. Guess there is possibility that both the vehicles belonged to the same man.

Cheers

KPS

[harit]

Originally Posted by KPS

Here is an another angle. The front axle of the bus broke and ..........Cheers KPS

Hi KPS, look time no see. Your last post on the Plymouth did not open, and then it was deleted, maybe a technical problem.



Anyway, going back to angles, please check this picture carefully. The right mudguard of the truck (as seen from drivers position) is skewed, it is higher, probably because it got "dashed". And the driver is sitting inside, maybe waiting for authorities to arrive. The others also seem to be waiting. No repair activity seems to have been initiated. Maybe this photo came even in the local press.
Also, it appears that the truck on the left is older, and the truck on the right is newer and stronger, the fender bender is more on the older truck.
My take is an accident, the angle of the camera does leave some room for speculation on the situation.

Cheers harit

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by harit

Also, it appears that the truck on the left is older, and the truck on the right is newer and stronger, the fender bender is more on the older truck.
My take is an accident, the angle of the camera does leave some room for speculation on the situation.

Cheers harit

Originally Posted by KPS

Here is an another angle. The front axle of the bus broke and he came in his truck to repair it. I am speculating this story because there is no body damage on the bus and truck. Guess there is possibility that both the vehicles belonged to the same man.

Cheers

KPS

I am unable to comment precisely as to whether the vehicles are to undergo a repair job or have collided ?
But there is more likelihood of the two having collided.
Also I buy Harit's argument that the one on the left is older. This is evident with the wheel design differences. The left one has wooden rims, so popular till the 1920's, while the one to the right has metal discs. The one to the left has only a tyre (perhaps with a tube) as stepney and no rim (jugaad in the olden days too!)
And the scene could have been clicked on a road connecting two towns- there appears to be no metal road at all as was the case in many sectors then.
The persons seen, seem to be patiently awaiting collectively, for something to arrive.

[harit]

Some time back on the thread "ask the man........" there was a comment about lady drivers.
Here is a lady in her Austin, I have a photo of her also driving a pre-war Morris.
Surprised to have seen no reaction from ladies, do none of them post? I wonder why there is no icon in the shape of a roller pin.

Cheers harit

[anjan_c2007]

A Fiat 1100D found on FB

[Elegant Pig]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

I am unable to comment precisely as to whether the vehicles are to undergo a repair job or have collided ?
But there is more likelihood of the two having collided.
Also I buy Harit's argument that the one on the left is older. This is evident with the wheel design differences. The left one has wooden rims, so popular till the 1920's, while the one to the right has metal discs. The one to the left has only a tyre (perhaps with a tube) as stepney and no rim (jugaad in the olden days too!)
And the scene could have been clicked on a road connecting two towns- there appears to be no metal road at all as was the case in many sectors then.
The persons seen, seem to be patiently awaiting collectively, for something to arrive.

Dear Karlos, Harit, KPS, Anjan,

Thanks for all your responses! Turns out some of your deductions are bang on the nail! Or should I say, wheel? Have just been speaking to Mr. Subhash Bashte, who has clarified most matters, including a few details I'd got wrong.

The vehicle on the right, W 2252, indeed a Chevy truck, belonged to Mr. Subhash Bashte's grandfather. "Bashte Transport Services", written in Devnagri script, is discernible on the front of the truck.

The person sitting on the foot-board of the vehicle on the left, indeed a bus or public mass-carrier, is a Mr. Sawant, probably the owner of this bus.

The person sitting inside the bus is Mr. Bandarkar, a 'mistri' or auto-mechanic. Mr. Bashte remembers that when he was a boy of about five years, which would be around the year 1949, "Bandarkar Mistri" was very well-known all over the Ratnagiri region as a senior and extremely good mistri.

The scene depicted in the picture is indeed that of an accident between the said two vehicles. The site is a 'gaadi adda' or vehicle-stand that existed at the location of the present-day Ratnagiri main post-office. (Mr. Bashte remembers that the place was full of large old tamarind trees.) He vaguely remembers a story that the accident was the result of a 'show-of-strength' in a disagreement over a parking-space!

By the way, Bashte Transport Services and the Chevy truck belonged to Mr. Subhash Bashte's grandfather. It is Mr. Subhash Bashte who started and still owns the auto-workshop. The incident in the picture thus occurred many years before Mr. Subhash Bashte was even born!

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by Elegant Pig

Have just been speaking to Mr. Subhash Bashte, who has clarified most matters...

...The person sitting on the foot-board of the vehicle on the left, indeed a bus or public mass-carrier, is a Mr. Sawant, probably the owner of this bus.

Thanks for the nice pic, from an actual family album. Good to see a few genuine personal/private family album pics still being featured here occasionally.

Would Mr. Bashte be able to recollect the name of the make of the bus/coach on the left if you give a few names? If you could kindly ask him if either Fargo, Dodge or International is a possibility? Thanks again

EDIT:
Or, I just remembered so I've come back, maybe, just maybe even a Bedford?!

[Elegant Pig]

Came across this nice little family-photo from my wife's childhood. That's her family's first car, a FIAT 1100D (MHJ 7268).

My father-in-law bought it second-hand from Pune around 1981-82. For Rs. 36,000/-. It's previous owner was apparently a Quality Manager with TELCO and was getting rid of his old car before buying a new one.

This photo of the car (with my wife, her kid-sister and my mother-in-law) was taken around 1983, outside their flat at Dombivli. The car was sold around 1986, for Rs. 35,000/-, to a gentleman living in Dadar.