[Alvis]

Karlos et all

That, without a doubt, is BWP 31, now restored to her former glory by Karim.
She looks better today than in this 61 year old photograph!!!

"The quality will remain long after the price is forgotten" - Henry Royce.

[JayD]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

Why are the hoods open in most pics?? Were the cars prone to overheating or something??

The car in the pic is a Morris minor seriesII. These came without water pumps for cooling,Using the siphon technique instead. These cars were known for their overheating issues.

Back in its day, it was a familiar sight in kerala to see minors with their bonnets open on the 'Kuthiraan Keattam' near thrissur.

[Julian UK]

On Karlos's request a photo of some of the pioneers of the Vintage car movement. I have corrected the details. Taken at the Delhi Golf Club in 1970.
From the left, The late Mr. Pesi Shroff, Bentley owner and rally judge who saved cars now in the magnificent Autoworld collection, Mr Ronnie Khan, Invicta and Bentley owner, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu Founder of the Motor Museum there on his visit to India in 1970, the late Major General Shiv Bhatia former President of the Delhi Vintage Car Club who owned a Lancia Dilamda and a 1930s Plymouth and Mr Raj Seth, judge of Delhi and Calcutta Rallies and owner of a Silver Ghost and a Lagonda M45 and still a leading light in the Vintage car movement.


Photo courtesy of Mr. R.N.Seth taken by H H Raja S N Singh of Tirwa on 9th march 1970

[tuchha]

Here are some of the OLD BEAUTIES our family had.

1.Ford 1938
2.Ford 1953 Consul
3.Ford Jeep
4.Ford 1928

We have had some other models later but they did not leave an impression.

Uday Naik

[SuperSelect]

Lovely pics Uday. Where have these been taken ?? There appears to be and old structure in the background in the last pic. Very interesting.

[karlosdeville]

Some horrifying pictures from Harit!

Originally Posted by Julian UK

On Karlos's request a photo of some of the pioneers of the Vintage car movement. I have corrected the details. Taken at the Delhi Golf Club in 1970.

This is a lovely picture and this type of postings are the ones I like the most and where I can add some info.
These gentlemen were true blue enthusiasts and so little remains known about their adventures. So let me add some bits.
I believe that Mr. Pesi Shroff also owned the Lagonda in the Lagonda post, link no 35, regd MMF 1926.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...-lagonda-3.jpg
I have personally seen him driving the car even after he sold it to Pranlal.
Mr. Ronnie Khan also owned a Lancia of the 1950's, the red one often seen on a pump on Peddar Road. I believe that he also owned Mallya's Bugatti at one time.
A Lancia Dilambda is mentioned. Another pioneer in the vintage movement was a Professor Moore in Delhi about whom I know nothing except that he owned a Lancia DiLambda. Did this car go on to Kolkotta? I will try to find out.
When Lord Montague was in Delhi, he was shown or moved around in a RR PIII, MHM1919 which was freshly restored with Mr. Raj Seth's involvement as I understand. A small article with picture on this was published in an issue of the Heritage Motor Club magazine. That car was picked up by Vohra, already deteriorating by then and brought to Mumbai. Now she is in Indore duly restored.
Another very active person was the one who took the photo, H H Raja S N Singh of Tirwa. He was a true blue blooded enthusiast, corresponded with a lot of people, himself owned a number of cars but allowed them to deteriorate. He was often seen around vintage cars rallies in Delhi and Kolkotta and well known in the circle in the days of old. Attached you will find some period photos of some of his cars taken around 1970 or so. The Humbrette is no more, only the chassis remains and that can be seen in an earlier post in PreWarCar.com. These cars deteriorated further, finally I own 6 of his cars. Some I picked up directly, others came on resale. A pic of the same T and Stude as seen when I got delivery is also attached. These pics exactly show the situation. Tyres and parts were not available and so the cars were kept aside and rotted. Luckily he had a compound and so they did not go to the breakers yard. This would generally explain the demise of the early cars in India. These cars were dead, as an enthusiast he probably could not bear the thought of scrapping them, but with parts not available they could not be put on the road. But there were some American cars which could have been kept going, they also deteriorated. There is still a Rolls and a few American cars, perhaps they will be on the road one day.
I still think of Mumbai's collector Adenwalla and how no info on him is forthcomming. I could ask Barwani but then that info will be for his book and cannot be put on this site. Does nobody have any info about him?

[rjvora_2000]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Some horrifying pictures from Harit!

We can say this are "killed beauties"

Sad to see this pic.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by tuchha

Here are some of the OLD BEAUTIES our family had.

Lovely photos indeed! A real pity that I have hardly any nostalgic photos (more than 30 years old) of cars in my family, mainly because before my father there was none in my immediate ancestry who ever owned a car (or any vehicle for that matter!)

I especially like the Consul- which state was it btw? The regn. no. seems like MDK (Madras state)?

[sabinesnubbing]

Tuchha,
Most excellent pictures of you family's cars. I am researching the pre-independence registration plates of India and would be very grateful if you could confirm the 1928 Ford and 1938 Ford registrations. It would help greatly. The '28 looks like JS but that is a code I have not come across before. Do you have any idea where JS was?

Stanher
MD was Madras from 1947 to 1968

Many thanks and keep the old photos coming
Cedric

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by sabinesnubbing

Tuchha,
Most excellent pictures of you family's cars. I am researching the pre-independence registration plates of India and would be very grateful if you could confirm the 1928 Ford and 1938 Ford registrations. It would help greatly. The '28 looks like JS but that is a code I have not come across before. Do you have any idea where JS was?

Indian regns is something I too am very fond of. Do share with us some of your research, it would be of tremendous value to us.

[sabinesnubbing]

Karlosdeville,
I am hoping to have a first draft of my list of registrations finished by the end of this week so please give me a few days. I will certainly be happy to post what I know.
Cheers
Cedric

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by sabinesnubbing

Stanher
MD was Madras from 1947 to 1968

Thanks Cedric, and welcome aboard!

Yes I do know that MS and MD series was for Madras state (now chennai) and Madras dist. respectively, which is why I'd asked if the car was in madras.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by sabinesnubbing

I am researching the pre-independence registration plates of India and would be very grateful if you could confirm the 1928 Ford and 1938 Ford registrations.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Indian regns is something I too am very fond of. Do share with us some of your research, it would be of tremendous value to us.

Harit tells us more about early registrations.

About registration numbers.
In the very beginning, there were no registration numbers.
Later on, they introduced only numbers, I have pictures of a whole lot of cars in Kolkotta where they have upto 5 digit numbers and no alphabets. This is in about early 1930's.
But, sometime single and double alphabets were introduced. I have pictures of cars upto mid 1930 which have single and double alphabets on the number plate. And the maximum numbers were 4. This will most certainly not have been sufficient to cover all the cars in India. Did they ever reuse numbers on several cars? I have a pic of a 1930's Dodge with single alphabet and a veteran with double alphabets. And how were these alphabets distributed? The Rover of Choudhrie 1904 had MN registration if I remember correctly.
The sometime in the 1920's there was a BOM series. The Thornycroft BEST bus posted by Ram has such a number. A friend purchased a Stude which had its original numberplate, BOM XXXX cast in aluminium with the characters forming an integral part of the plate. At that time I asked the RTO person about this and he informed that there was a changeover and the records had been kept somewhere. Now nobody knows where. I have a few pictures with BOM registered cars.
Sometime in early 1940's, the series again was changed to the three apphabets and upto 4 numbers system. I have a pic of 1943 which has been dated to 1943 as it shows my friends grandfathers funeral procession and the cars in the background already had this system. These series, BMW BYJ etc were used in parts of Pakistan, Gujrat and Maharashtra. I have seen a registration book of a 1938 Packard BMW registered with an address either of Karachi or Lahore, I forget which. I have seen registration books with Gujrat address having a BYX number and re-registered GCY in the same book, just an entry was made and stamped.
Hope you like.

Harit

[susan3004]

I got so motivated by this thread that I also started digging out old photos. To start with is my father on his Royal Enfield.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by susan3004

I got so motivated by this thread that I also started digging out old photos.

Thats exactly the purpose of this thread. Lovely picture, looking forward to more.