[the mole]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Hi Amol, the best I can read is that the colour is recorded as "Miami Blue".
The shade may be like:

Miami Blue Shade - Image Results

That's quite strange as far as I recall there was no Miami blue offered in the 56-57 cars. But thanks anyways. Its amazing how a clue here and there can give us information about our cars.

[harit]

A lot of Dashboard badges collected over the years. These badges were normally fixed on the dashboard of a car by the dealer selling the car, and usually carried some Motor Oil advertisement. The South India Motors badge was removed from the side of the bonnet of an Austin in south India.
The finish is enameled, looks very classy.

Cheers harit

[harit]

Originally Posted by harit

A lot of Dashboard badges collected over the years. ...
Cheers harit

And then 3 became 10.
Normally when something is bought in bulk, the rate goes down. Strangely the rate goes up with every additional pcs.

Cheers harit

[harit]

Another lot of badges came my way.
DMCSC
Maybe Deccan Motorcycle Sports Club.
Maybe defunct, it does not appear when one googles.
But this club was active in the 1960's, maybe even 1970's. Who knows more?
I don't see any fixing possibility, no holes for screws, no bracket. Quality appears to be poor, a cheap casting making these look like replicas. I know Karlos has one.

Cheers harit

[thebulletboy]

There's a reference to DMCSC, Pune in the zigwheels archives

Yes even in Pune we had the awesome sight and sound of the classic XK120 and XK140 sports cars running to peak performance in the annual road races organized by the now defunct Deccan Motorcycle Sports Club (DMCSC) at the Lohegaon aerodrome. The Yuvraj Kumar of Gondal won many a race in his Jaguar XK120 and many others followed this all over the land.

ref: http://www.zigwheels.com/news-featur...th-elan/2962/1

[harit]

Souvenirs printed for some event is / was a common practice. Such events were often for charities, organisational events to promote and / or celebrate something, or plain commercial events for fun and entertainment. There were other purposes too.
For such events souvenirs were printed, these gave some details of the event/organisation and carried a lot of advertising material. It's these ads which are often of interest.

This is one such souvenir, it's army stuff: Southern Command Military Tattoo held in Vallabhai Patel Stadium in 1957. This souvenir serves two parts, the motoring related ads and for my NSCI memorabilia which I also collect.



Military Tattoo was something new for me, I googled.
The original meaning of military tattoo was a military drum performance, but subsequently it came to mean army displays more generally. The term dates from around 1600 during the Thirty Years' War in the Low Countries....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_tattoo check Wiki for details.

This issue had about 8 advertisements, some are pasted bellow:



Caltex Motor Oil, just how did that give 15% more motor miles?



Lambretta Scooter: Isn't this lovely, so aspirational as opposed to inspirational?



Shell Oils: What happened during those seven years? Detergent?



Standard Vanguard, it is a Phase III. At least they developed or progressed. I don't know why the Amby outsold this car, so similar, maybe even better. Anyone drove this and can share comparison to an Amby? Was price a factor? Or perhaps government contracts?



Dodge 1956, this is the original advert. If you check
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...ml#post3003622 (Vintage and Classic Cars on Display in India)
you will find this piece of art put up by Karl before. It appears that one inspired the other, probably the ad inspired this piece of art.



The remaining ads were not very imaginative and the post would be too long.
Hope someone likes this.

Cheers harit

[travancore]

One for you, Karl.

courtesy: http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/...anderlust.html

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by travancore

One for you, Karl.

courtesy: http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/...anderlust.html

Attachment 1283873

Thanks, infact I distinctly remember posting this up myself as well. I saw it in a book whilst visiting HQ, 4 students had been driving the car long distances as a PR stunt.

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by harit

This is one such souvenir, it's army stuff: Southern Command Military Tattoo held in Vallabhai Patel Stadium in 1957. This souvenir serves two parts, the motoring related ads and for my NSCI memorabilia which I also collect.

Attachment 1283733

OT, but just a bit of General Knowledge here:- Lt. Gen. P.N. Thapar, metioned in the pic that I've left in the quote went on to become Indian Army's fifth Chief of Army Staff. A controversial chief, discredited (among other people, including Jawaharlal Nehru) with India's terrible defeat to China in the '62 war (he was also related to Nehru, which had various implications/ramifications that I'll not get into here) that led to his resignation. He was journalist Karan Thapar's father.

Originally Posted by harit

Standard Vanguard, it is a Phase III. At least they developed or progressed. I don't know why the Amby outsold this car, so similar, maybe even better. Anyone drove this and can share comparison to an Amby? Was price a factor? Or perhaps government contracts?

The Standard Vanguard Ph III was a lovely car, and well ahead of the Amby IMO, despite preceding the MO Series III. Much better equipment level (a heater too) including a beautiful reversing light at centre of the number plate light housing. The tail light glass had a good-looking spiderweb pattern. The steel was solid, the instrument cluster had a warm, soft green glow. The engine was much more powerful (2.0 ltr - that was brought out of hibernation for the ill-fated Standard 2000 in the 80s, with just a change in the manifold to incorporate twin-carbs) and the difference in performance was stark, yet the fuel consumption figures weren't much worse - around 5-6 to the Amby's 6-7 mile/ltr maybe. Only, the Vanguard had three forward gears to the Amby's four - whatever difference that made in those days. The price difference was probably around 2000 bucks, which was a big deal in those days! But what really affected it's sales were probably, more than anything else, Birla's "PR" abilities, and Standard Motors' own deficiencies in covering basic grounds must have further compounded the divide. I am not sure whether the Vanguard was even assembled here, and if so in what form - CKD, SKD...? Lot of people may not be aware that Morris Minors were also produced in the South (Amalgamations Group - Simpsons might ring a bell - and I'm not absolutely sure if TTK Group also didn't have something to do with it. My father used to talk about them, since he was good buddies with one of the guys, and friendly with a lady from the family and used to sometimes drive her MM Tourer, assembled in the South, while she sat beside ). But then the 'mighty' Birla took Morris away, all to Uttarpara, Howrah, under Hindustan Motors. Even Austin A40s were assembled for a while at Ashok Motors, Tamil Nadu, in the late 40s. Ashok Motors of course is what we today know as Ashok Leyland. Sad, that the pioneering Southern companies have been denied their rightful place under the sun, due to political machinations as well as their own ineptitude in covering the ground well...

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Prabal

The Standard Vanguard Ph III was a lovely car, and well ahead of the Amby IMO, despite preceding the MO Series III. Much better equipment level (a heater too) including a beautiful reversing light at centre of the number plate light housing.

Yup - the owner of this Padmini too liked the reverse light unit

Originally Posted by Prabal

I am not sure whether the Vanguard was even assembled here, and if so in what form - CKD, SKD...?

There should have been some level of assembly (what level is open for debate), since they were stamped with Madras data plates

Originally Posted by Prabal

Lot of people may not be aware that Morris Minors were also produced in the South (Amalgamations Group - Simpsons might ring a bell - and I'm not absolutely sure if TTK Group also didn't have something to do with it.

I clearly remember Minors with commission plates stating Addison & Co Ltd, Madras, followed by a serial number. Are they connected?

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Yup - the owner of this Padmini too liked the reverse light unit

Haha, he sure does have a shine for it! That's a Standard Padmini now, or a Premier Vanguard!!

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

There should have been some level of assembly (what level is open for debate), since they were stamped with Madras data plates

Thanks. I am trying to recollect the plate on our Vanguard - I am getting a vague recollection of Madras on it too now, or is it auto-suggestion after seeing this...we had two cars in the house, the other was my uncle's who'd bought his in the UK, and brought here upon returning home. So maybe the Indian cousin, had a Madras plate. His was a beige sort of colour, ours was Winchester Blue or some such.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I clearly remember Minors with commission plates stating Addison & Co Ltd, Madras, followed by a serial number. Are they connected?

Yup, Addison is part of the Amalgamation group - they are now better known in the North for their paints and auto-refinishing chemicals. Simpson's the other member in the group made the Ford trucks in the early 80s (stylish, and modern, very exciting for auto enthusiasts in those days to see the modern cabs that could also tilt over for maintenance) that were not sturdy enough for Indian use and abuse, and hence had a short run. And if I am not mistaken, they made/still make the Perkins Diesel powerplants as well - P4, P6, etc.; had a Buick with one of those, was a seismologists delight and I probably moved like Michael Jackson/Prabhu Deva after a drive!

Which of them assembled the Morris Minors, I'm not sure. TTK group, if I am not really, really mistaken made the Royal Enfield motorbike (there was some Madras Motors on the scene too, whether related or not, please don't ask me now - the cranium's a total blank!!) before selling out to Eicher Motors, or another suitor in-between. Now whether TTK assembled the Morris cars, or Amalagamations did, or they had something going together is simply eluding me. If I think any more on this right now, my unstable head might just overheat, and spontaneously combust. So, tadum!

[KartikeyaL]

Here is a scale model (Hand made ) of a Morris Minor tourer, exact copy of OHV minor from 1930, just like my car, I bought this rare piece on Ebay a few months back. The scale is 1:43

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by harit

Dodge 1956, this is the original advert. If you check
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...ml#post3003622 (Vintage and Classic Cars on Display in India)
you will find this piece of art put up by Karl before. It appears that one inspired the other, probably the ad inspired this piece of art.

Not Dodge, but Plymouth. Here is the equivalent Dodge ad - with forward look and jet fin styling.

[harit]

The Motion Picture Magazine was published in India. Discussed both Indian and foreign films. This is an example of a magazine carrying automotive advertisements. It's dated January 1947, pre-independance and cost 12 Annas = Rs 0.75/-.
Noteworthy is the cover, Veena -- fight for freedom. We were not yet free at that stage.

One of the ads in this issue is of Goodyear tires, it shows the well known X-pattern of yore. Goodyear still exists, have often used their tires.



I like this Buick advertisement.
Have you heard of Flightweight Pistons for flashing action?
And look, it had buttressed bumpers for protection both in front and rear.
The model was described as a Buick 51 sedan, no mention of "Super". It cost Rs 12700/- only. And it was available in Goa, did they export from Bombay these cars? So many questions and observations.



Milpro I would guess was an energy drink. Aparently no longer available. I googled just "Milpro", found Milpro 100 and 200 designed for animal feed only.
Meanwhile one can solve the puzzle.



Those were the days in all respects. Good cars, funny food, low rates for cars and magazines.

Cheers harit

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by harit

I like this Buick advertisement.
Have you heard of Flightweight Pistons for flashing action?
And look, it had buttressed bumpers for protection both in front and rear.
The model was described as a Buick 51 sedan, no mention of "Super". It cost Rs 12700/- only. And it was available in Goa, did they export from Bombay these cars? So many questions and observations.

The price and designation remained unchanged for the 47 model year.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...ml#post3511572

However the mention of the flightweight pistons for flashing action and Panthergait suspension was deleted.