[moralfibre]

Some more clicks from Bombay in the 1950s. Can someone identify the cars?











Source: Photodivision GOI.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Some more clicks from Bombay in the 1950s. Can someone identify the cars?

Attachment 1436093

Attachment 1436094

Attachment 1436095

Attachment 1436096

Attachment 1436097

Source: Photodivision GOI.

Very nice!

In picture 27792 seems to be a late 30s Buick or GM product.

In picture 27790 I can see a Fiat Balila 7 seater, a 46/48 Dodge taxi, a
46/48 Buick 8, a Morris Oxford/Hindustan 14, a large Wolseley (or maybe even Hotchkiss), a Morris 8 and an early 30s Ford.

[harit]

This is a photo I like and is quite intriguing. The car is nice, early to mid thirties maybe even a Packard going by the wheels. And the lady, stylish dressed, elegant, chic, appears cultured, could have been a celebrity? Any ideas about the car and the lady? She appears to be rather short.

Cheers harit

[travancore]

Originally Posted by harit

This is a photo I like and is quite intriguing. The car is nice, early to mid thirties maybe even a Packard going by the wheels. And the lady, stylish dressed, elegant, chic, appears cultured, could have been a celebrity? Any ideas about the car and the lady? She appears to be rather short.

Cheers harit

Thanks Harit for this interesting photo.

While the hub on the disc wheel does look "Packard-esque", the bolt pattern does not seem to match the typical Packard style.

Late 1920's Peerless maybe ? That should make it even more interesting. Need to do some more weekend research.

[Anwesh]

Here is our first family car. 1973 Safari purchased secondhand by my father in 1985. The youngster in the the pic is yours truly who was 20 yo then.The first owner of the car was a small scale industrialist who had his factory and residential compound at LBS Marg, a stone's throw from the PAL factory. The car was fitted with AC, tinted glasses, alternator and stereo. Complete bodywork was done immediately upon taking delivery from the first owner. IN 1992, I had her converted to Padmini as the Safari body was more prone to leakage of rainwater and rust. She was with us till 2001. Hope she survives.

Regards,

[rusticnomad]

Here's the one that I learnt self-driving on. This snap is from 1976 from Jamshedpur Bokaro drive. Snap of a snap so loss of clarity. The taller one is me 38 years back. I remember, dad used to pay me 20 bucks a month to keep the car shining, always.

[travancore]

Two FIAT 600's made the journey from Calcutta to Rome in 1955 in 11 days.
There also seems to be a 1/43 scale model of the car by BRUMM

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Anwesh

Here is our first family car. 1973 Safari purchased secondhand by my father in 1985.IN 1992, I had her converted to Padmini as the Safari body was more prone to leakage of rainwater and rust. She was with us till 2001. Hope she survives.

Regards,

1973 Model Year- that would make your car a Premier President. The Premier Padmini was new in 1974.

Very few Premier Presidents survive these days, in part owing to a very short production run of 12 odd months. Every time I see one in Poona (More often than not- MTJ registered, which would make the car Poona registered, circa 1973) ; I'm quite excited.

I've come across other incidences of Premier President ''Safari's'' existing. One did survive in Bangalore, IIRC. Was MEO registered.

On a related note, our FIAT 1100D is a 1972. Late 1972, to be precise. One of the very last built. Registration date is 10th November 1972.

Originally Posted by rusticnomad

Here's the one that I learnt self-driving on. This snap is from 1976 from Jamshedpur Bokaro drive. Snap of a snap so loss of clarity. The taller one is me 38 years back. I remember, dad used to pay me 20 bucks a month to keep the car shining, always.

Oh damn- that is a 1964-65 FIAT 1100 Delight. If I'm not wrong, the three dials on the instrument cluster would be a lightish blue in colour. 1965 onwards 1100D's had the dials in black, and the 1971/2 Delights had a very different meter format.

The car in question has the grille in the ''squarish'' pattern, which confirms it to be a 1964-65. The side trim patti's as you can see, are very similar to the 1964 Fiat 1100 Super Select (a.k.a FIAT 1100 'Export' )

Your car also has 'em 'long; rear bumpers. If I recall correctly, this part was also shared with the 1964 Super Select. Car is silverish in color- Most likely repainted, for I don't think silver was a color offered originally.

Lastly, the car is an excellent reference point for period accessories. JUST LOOK AT THAT SUNSHADE! And the trim mounted on the wheel rims. And yeah, the trim on the C-Pillar. All in all, a lovely car!

Very beautiful car, I must say. I just love 'em 1964-65 Delights!

[rusticnomad]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

1973 Model Year- that would make your car a

Oh damn- that is a 1964-65 FIAT 1100 Delight. If I'm not wrong, the three dials on the instrument cluster would be a lightish blue in colour. 1965 onwards 1100D's had the dials in black, and the 1971/2 Delights had a very different meter format.

The car in question has the grille in the ''squarish'' pattern, which confirms it to be a 1964-65. The side trim patti's as you can see, are very similar to the 1964 Fiat 1100 Super Select (a.k.a FIAT 1100 'Export' )

Your car also has 'em 'long; rear bumpers. If I recall correctly, this part was also shared with the 1964 Super Select. Car is silverish in color- Most likely repainted, for I don't think silver was a color offered originally.

Lastly, the car is an excellent reference point for period accessories. JUST LOOK AT THAT SUNSHADE! And the trim mounted on the wheel rims. And yeah, the trim on the C-Pillar. All in all, a lovely car!

Very beautiful car, I must say. I just love 'em 1964-65 Delights!

1100d 1963/64, IIRC. This was repainted in three colors -- light peach green (was arrived at by mixing three colors from what my dad told me - so color matching was always a pain when any patch work was needed) for the body, dark peach green for the roof -- matching the color of the sunshade -- and the orange color on the pillar.

The speedo on console was more like thermometer, something like this (@1:01 onward)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfgmxcZto_Y

This beauty stayed with us till end of 1990 as solid as ever, went along from Jamshedpur to Tarapur To Aurangabad (MH) and finally we let it go after that in 1990, three years after dad retired to his heavenly abode.

It's the time spent in a Fiat during the formative days as a self-learned driver that pushed me to Linea T-Jet in 2014. Always wanted to buy a Fiat Siena when it was launched, but ran short of moola back then.

Next one in the bucket list is Fiat 500X, if it gets launched in India. Resale values don't matter to us. FIAT Love does

[FINTAIL]

Here's something rather interesting.

Was going through a blog concerning old European number plates (yeah, I *love* 'em Fifties / Sixties cars, and anything to do with them, including 'em period number plates)

That aside, stumbled upon this VW Kombi in Calcutta, of all places!

Ladies and gentlemen, here's introducing WBE 7457, a VW Van.

Photographed in Calcutta, circa 1959.



Due credits to: https://europlateblog.files.wordpres...ris-nieh-1.jpg

And on this page; http://blog.europlate.org.uk/

P.S: WBE 1362 is a very *special* 1955/56 Dodge Kingsway, with a family connection.

[moralfibre]

Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi.

The Technological Institutes Bangalore. This Institute gives practical training to students in many technical occupations.

The Municipal Offices Building, Bangalore.

Mr. I.P.M.Menon of the E.A.C.R. Deptt. Receiving Mr. John D. Kearney, Canadian High Commissioner in India, when the latter arrived for a meeting with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on June 26, 1947.

Lovely Packard there?

Passenger plane refueling before taking off. At the Willingdon Air Station, New Delhi.

Source: Photodivision GOI

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

WBE 7457, a VW Van.

Photographed in Calcutta, circa 1959.

I think I had posted these before, not sure so reposting. The van I believe was owned/used by a known personality - either a traveller or photographer or something of the sort.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Lovely Packard there?

Yep, that is a Packard 46-47 Clipper.

That car would've been almost *new* at that time.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I think I had posted these before, not sure so reposting. The van I believe was owned/used by a known personality - either a traveller or photographer or something of the sort.

Lovely pics; and not to mention the photography- lovely!

The van looks rather cute, I admit!

[noonrock]

Originally Posted by Anwesh

Here is our first family car. 1973 Safari purchased secondhand by my father in 1985. The youngster in the the pic is yours truly who was 20 yo then.The first owner of the car was a small scale industrialist who had his factory and residential compound at LBS Marg, a stone's throw from the PAL factory. The car was fitted with AC, tinted glasses, alternator and stereo. Complete bodywork was done immediately upon taking delivery from the first owner. IN 1992, I had her converted to Padmini as the Safari body was more prone to leakage of rainwater and rust. She was with us till 2001. Hope she survives.

Regards,

What does it mean when you refer to this fine looking station wagon as having been converted to "Padmini".

[Anwesh]

Originally Posted by noonrock

What does it mean when you refer to this fine looking station wagon as having been converted to "Padmini".

Hi,


This wagan copies the lines of the original Italian Familare. The Italian version was factory built with die pressed panels. The Indian version was built by a dealer in his coach building workshop, this led to issues with the tailgate shutlines resulting in heavy water leakage during the monsoons and rusting. Also, the car was tail heavy compared to the Sedan version so could not be thrown around corners like the later.
I converted to Padmini which is the Indian made Fiat 1100D sedan. For this the roof was chopped off and the body panels aft of the B pillar were removed. New roof, rear doors, rear wings, boot lid were mated with the front half of the old car. The car was still in production then (1992) so factory spares were available. The job was perfect and nobody could make out the change unless they checked the registration book where the change of body type was endorsed by the authorities. Unfortunately I do not have a pic of the car in her later avtar.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I think I had posted these before, not sure so reposting. The van I believe was owned/used by a known personality - either a traveller or photographer or something of the sort.

Attachment 1441213

Attachment 1441214

Attachment 1441215

Attachment 1441216

Attachment 1441217

Attachment 1441218

Attachment 1441219

Attachment 1441220

Attachment 1441221

Karl, are these pics like this from the source or was it you experimenting with the easiest methods of LHD>RHD (and vice versa) conversion?


Happy Motoring to all,


Anwesh