[kishorelal]

Originally Posted by harit

This is nice picture, can you please let us know the details behind this picture. Is this in India? Was it a family car?
Just curious.

Cheers harit

Harit sir,
Dont know much abt this photo or car. got forwarded thro email. car is meant to have been in travancore area
long ago

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Indeed it is a Mercedes Benz of the 1930s, maybe 230 or 320. Appears to be Landaulette, very nice. Any history behind this photo? Any more details?

I dont know whether this is the photo of the same car.I have information that there was 1936 230 Landaulette in Trivandrum in the eighties.It had come from Bombay owned by a defence employee and was lying in a workshop located just adjacent to Hotel Luciya. The workshop was shifted in the mid eighties to somewhere near the Beach area and the mechanics name was Joseph(hearsay!).It was there till the mid nineties.What happened later is a matter of conjecture.Some say it got rusted and later scrapped.

[travancore]

Originally Posted by ajay99

I dont know whether this is the photo of the same car.I have information that there was 1936 230 Landaulette in Trivandrum in the eighties.It had come from Bombay owned by a defence employee and was lying in a workshop located just adjacent to Hotel Luciya. The workshop was shifted in the mid eighties to somewhere near the Beach area and the mechanics name was Joseph(hearsay!).It was there till the mid nineties.What happened later is a matter of conjecture.Some say it got rusted and later scrapped.

I have seen that car Ajay, thought it belonged to the late Mr. Madhavan Tampi (husband of actress Ragini). I could be entirely wrong.
He used to own what is now "Bank House" next to Trivandrum Club; and I have seen an "old" Mercedes peek out from his garage - from the distant vantage point of a Loyola School Bus window!

Kishorelal, Wow, that is an amazing Mercedes you posted. A long time ago, I had posted a picture of the Cochin Nethiyaramma (Maharani) with what I thought was a 320 Pullman Limousine. This picture was taken in Trivandrum. On a historical note, I believe she was "exiled" to Switzerland for her anti-British sentiments and activities!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...tml#post784454


Including both pictures below for comparison. I do notice that the door trim upholstery panel lines / wood trim below rear window, wheel covers and location of the jack cutouts on the running boards are different.

The Cochin car is RHD, the other appears to be LHD

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by travancore

I have seen that car Ajay, thought it belonged to the late Mr. Madhavan Tampi (husband of actress Ragini). I could be entirely wrong.
He used to own what is now "Bank House" next to Trivandrum Club; and I have seen an "old" Mercedes peek out from his garage - from the distant vantage point of a Loyola School Bus window!

Kishorelal, Wow, that is an amazing Mercedes you posted. A long time ago, I had posted a picture of the Cochin Nethiyaramma (Maharani) with what I thought was a 320 Pullman Limousine. This picture was taken in Trivandrum. On a historical note, I believe she was "exiled" to Switzerland for her anti-British sentiments and activities!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...tml#post784454


Including both pictures below for comparison. I do notice that the door trim upholstery panel lines / wood trim below rear window, wheel covers and location of the jack cutouts on the running boards are different.

The Cochin car is RHD, the other appears to be LHD

Attachment 1110018

Attachment 1110019

You are right .This is definitely not the cochin mharanis car. when did you see the Madhavan thampis mercedes in the BANK house ?Assume it must be in the early sixties.Because Bank house became the HQ of the state home department decades ago.By the way have you seen the 230 merc in the workshop near Luciya?

[peeve]

Originally Posted by kishorelal

Which car is this ? Is it a Benz?

This particular car belonged to a well know automobile enthusiast of Trivandrum . He is no more but his son is also an avid collector of mostly classic and modern bikes. He has a red beetle in his collection . Ajay, you know who I am talking about . This picture is posted on his face book page along with his other pictures of his collection . Many years ago I had seen the copy of the old registration certificate of this particular car with this gentleman . I was told this was sold to someone in Mumbai .

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by peeve

This particular car belonged to a well know automobile enthusiast of Trivandrum . He is no more but his son is also an avid collector of mostly classic and modern bikes. He has a red beetle in his collection . Ajay, you know who I am talking about . This picture is posted on his face book page along with his other pictures of his collection . Many years ago I had seen the copy of the old registration certificate of this particular car with this gentleman . I was told this was sold to someone in Mumbai .

I very well know whom you are referring to ,then it is very likely that the car in the photo posted by kishore could very well be Madhavan thampis car and not the car which came from Mumbai to Trivandrum in the eighties

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by travancore

I have seen that car Ajay, thought it belonged to the late Mr. Madhavan Tampi (husband of actress Ragini). I could be entirely wrong.
He used to own what is now "Bank House" next to Trivandrum Club; and I have seen an "old" Mercedes peek out from his garage - from the distant vantage point of a Loyola School Bus window!

That is correct. That old Merc was there with Mr. Thampi and latter sold by his latter spouse to a Army Officer (who was in Pangode at that time (either in late 1970s or in early 80s if I remember correctly). Then it was a longtime resident in the workshop in East Fort as rightly mentioned by Ajay.

OT

Mr Madhavan Thanmpi's house - The house to the right of original "Dilkush" nee Kerala Police HQ is now the HQ of Trivandrum Development Authority - TRIDA and some Town Planner's offices.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

[travancore]

Originally Posted by ajay99

You are right .This is definitely not the cochin mharanis car. when did you see the Madhavan thampis mercedes in the BANK house ?Assume it must be in the early sixties.Because Bank house became the HQ of the state home department decades ago.By the way have you seen the 230 merc in the workshop near Luciya?

The Bank House only went to the Bank in the mid to late seventies - I have seen the car there upto the early / mid seventies; and then at the Garage (which my memory says was almost across the street from Luciya).

"Dilkush Mahal" as Ram correctly points out, was "given" to the State for a nominal sum in the 1940's..........I should know, but that is another story!
We now live in "Dilkush", since it is not a mansion to be called "Mahal".

Next time you pass by the Police H.Q., see if you can make out the initials on the railings in the upper verandah (most of it probably has been sheeted over now).

[ajay99]

Things are more clear now. Thampis merc was a 230 and it was sold to a defence officer (was not he in AIR FORCE??) and was the one in the workshop near luciya and later went with the workshop near the beach.Now only 2 queries remain.
1.Is this the car which was bought by the guy who has been referred by PEEVEE(easy info obtainable by him)?
2.If not what happened to the said car ( provided it did not rust to pieces as some claim)?
P.S: Wasnt the workshop on the same side of the road as LUCIYA ,which was owned by the K P(read automotive dealers) family and later a hotel run by Haneefa functioned??

[harit]

Srini and his father (not the journalist, the Merc guy) honoured me with a visit to my office many years ago (about 15 years) and we spoke about this Mercedes. But a few years later it had disappeared.

Cheers harit

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by harit

Srini and his father (not the journalist, the Merc guy) honoured me with a visit to my office many years ago (about 15 years) and we spoke about this Mercedes. But a few years later it had disappeared.

Cheers harit

I assume you are mentioning about the Allahabad origin Ponton owner and his son Srini the banker.if so Srini was eagerly enquiring about this merc about 9 years ago.

[ajay99]

Saw this old photo on the net.It is from Travancore era
Which is the car?

[kasli]

Originally Posted by ajay99

Saw this old photo on the net.It is from Travancore era
Which is the car?

Guess is wolseley !

Experts please identify

[priyo]

Originally Posted by kasli

Guess is wolseley !

Experts please identify

May be my observation will narrow it down :

1 . It is a large left hand drive car which indicates that is is an American make.
2 . It appears to have wheels with wooden spokes, electric head lamps and passengers in twenties attire, therefore, mid 20s .
3 . Before the 1929 crash, there were many makes other than the big names, most did not survive. I much deeper research is called for.

[kasli]

Originally Posted by priyo

May be my observation will narrow it down :

1 . It is a large left hand drive car which indicates that is is an American make.
2 . It appears to have wheels with wooden spokes, electric head lamps and passengers in twenties attire, therefore, mid 20s .
3 . Before the 1929 crash, there were many makes other than the big names, most did not survive. I much deeper research is called for.

This can be a pierce arrow also but yes how it missed my observation that it was a left hand drive car . Attached a right hand drive image . But will dig tomorrow

Cheers