Team-BHP - Classics of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar

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Originally Posted by travancore (Post 3835211)

Attachment 1431793

Looks very much like a 1956 Studebaker Wagon.

And that too with some "Department" Plate ?

I just saw this post. That car was with the Police Department. I don't know which year model it was.

I was the Trivandrum Police Commissioners car during 1967-69 period. Dark Blue in color. As a kid I knew this car as the official car of the famous "Minnal Parmasivan Nair" when he was the DCP/ACP of Trivandrum and was common sight around Poojapura where he lived (I as well).

The picture posted is in Secretariat - the side in front of Commissioner office before the "new chief minister office block" was built

It had twin car - a light/sky blue one which was the "Pilot Car" of Raj Bhavan and had a cute siren too - it used to be a common sight whenever/wherever the Governor of Kerala moved about - I remember it from Mr. V V Giri's tenure

Bit of nostalgia

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

Quote:

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm (Post 3924908)

Thanks for identifying the car.The Inspector Generals car of that period was also a Plymouth station wagon which later went to Bombay via Cochin in 1998 or so.
Also 2 small corrections- The office is not the Commissioners but the Cantonment ACP and Shri Minnal was ACP in the period 1972-1974 if my info is correct

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Originally Posted by sankar009 (Post 3830929)

Got this picture of a Meredez benz Bus of some educational institute in Kerala, from the net. IIRC there were buses running a school vans in rural Tamilnadu Especially Thanjavur

Nostalgia. I have travelled in this bus during the 1990-94 period. Govt. Engg. College Thrissur had 3 buses used for Thrissur town - College shuttle services.

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Originally Posted by foby.sebastian (Post 2091113)

ajay its your turn , was that the first of this kind in Trivandrum ?

I love the colour :D

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Originally Posted by karlosdeville (Post 4196554)

The same car is seen featured in the Mercedes-Benz magazine here

Attachment 1637716

That car was the personal Car of Mr. Kulathinkal Pothen the Industrialist/Planter and a prominent person of Kerala in 1900s. The car was registered in the name of Kulathinkal Motors the dealers of Mercedes Benz in Kerala and later of Tata Motors - the earlier picture confirms that. (This used to be right opposite the Pothy's showroom in TVM - where my family house once stood)

One of the major business concerns of theirs was the Motor General Finance Corporation (MGF) one of the pioneers in motor financing business in South India. I think they are still active and have dealership of Mercedes Benz even now

This car was the personal car of Mr. Kulathinkal Joseph Pothen.

Foby, I don't think this was the first of its kind in the state. I remember hearing stories that he (Mr. Pothen) gets 1 car free for every 10 he sells and likely he sold many more specially considering his Filmy connections - They were in to Film Financing as well - Hari Pothen his elder son was a major producer of Malayalam Films in late 1950s and early 1960s.

Mr. Pratap Pothen an actor currently still active in Malayalam movies is his youngest son.

Ajay possibly can fill in more details (Edit in - I just saw Ajay had already clarified most of the information, sorry for repeat)

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

Quote:

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm (Post 4196719)

Some minor corrections.Kulathunkal motors and MGF the tata motors dealers were separate entities(to the best of my info) .The one opposite your ancestral house was Kulathunkal motors building.The Tata motors workshop of MGF was in Meads lane,palayam till the land was acquired by TRIDA in the early nineties.I don't think that land had any connection with Kulathunkal group.
MGF group is a madras based group based in Chennai and has had many dealerships like MGF Hyundai,etc.

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Originally Posted by travancore (Post 4271220)

Attachment 1676650

An interesting article from 1985:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/i.../1/354067.html

That was a pretty good insight into the past:thumbs up

Knew about Karunakarans Merc craze and record making inter-city trips.

But didn't knew whole ministries were into it too.

Wonder where all those Toyotas (Crowns?) went to. Must have been a steal for the auction bidders at that time.
Perfectly maintained foreign cars though heavily ran cars.stupid: