Old Cars - high wheeler in beautiful condition running on its own power. How did that car got to India ?

[dodge28]

In a recent YOUTUBE, I saw  a  parade of antique cars  in Mumbai , India a HOLMAN high wheeler in beautiful condition running on its own  power. How did that car got to India ? There were also fantastic ROLLS ROYCE previously owned by Maharajas

[rocketraider]

Probably because during the Raj high end British and Commonwealth products found their way to India to satisfy the British expats' desire to have British things.

 

I have a couple of British friends who have been in USA 50 years or longer, and there are import businesses in US who cater to their desire for British things. Let me tell you, a proper English chutney aka Branston Pickle makes American versions seem positively tasteless.

[Bloo]

1 hour ago, dodge28 said:

I saw  a  parade of antique cars  in Mumbai , India a HOLMAN high wheeler in beautiful condition running on its own  power. How did that car got to India ?

Very, very, very slowly......  

 

 

Ok, I'll show myself out now.

 

 

[Restorer32]

In 1970 I spent 3 months wandering around India.  Two things especially fascinated me.  One was the fact that all trains but one were old fashioned coal fired steamers, some even hand stoked and two, there were many older American cars running around.  On my way into Calcutta the bus I was on was passed by a family in a '29 Cadillac Touring.

[8E45E]

35 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

.... there were many older American cars running around.  On my way into Calcutta the bus I was on was passed by a family in a '29 Cadillac Touring.

Were they right hand drive?

 

Up until 1976, there were a number of imports of American cars to India, a good many of them from South African assembly plants.  I know there are a number of Studebakers still in India.

 

Craig

[60FlatTop]

I was surprised at the number of 1940s Chryslers hobbyists in India own.

 

I found this page while searching the web for stuff on my 1948 Saratoga.

 

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-war/33861-1946-1948-chrysler-3.html

[dodge28]

The Rolls are  right  hand drive. The Holman looks more like the steering is on the right hand side, I am not sure but all the US cars steering looks to be on the left . I know for a fact when I owned a 1941 Buick Special around 1996 a guy from Mumbai asked me for a picture of my car. I was a member of the Buick Club Of America at the time .(Bugle) He had a similar make and model. It was left hand Drive. There are thousands of Morris Isis running around as Taxis. I think they are called Maruthi. 

Harry.

[Buick35]

Sounds kinda like going to Cuba. Though I've never been to either place.

[Rusty_OToole]

11 hours ago, dodge28 said:

In a recent YOUTUBE, I saw  a  parade of antique cars  in Mumbai , India a HOLMAN high wheeler in beautiful condition running on its own  power. How did that car got to India ? There were also fantastic ROLLS ROYCE previously owned by Maharajas

Probably on a boat. American cars, and British cars, have always been popular in India.Canadian journalist Gordon Sinclair wrote a book called Footloose in India in 1936 that described touring around India in a new Chevrolet sedan, provided by the Chevrolet importers.

 

However, due to the tax situation, cars were VERY expensive and even older model used cars held their value. So it would not be surprising to see an old car in use.

[Restorer32]

Maybe 10 years ago we sold an unrestored 1932 Packard Limo. We had advertised that it would be for sale at our flea market spaces at Hershey.  As it happened we sold it before Hershey.  We were approached by a fellow from India who came to Hershey for the sole purpose of buying the Limo.  His Grandfather years ago had owned the exact same model. To say he was extremely disappointed that the car was no longer available would be putting it mildly. He asked what we had sold it for, which was $25k.  He offered us $40k on the spot if we could get the car back but it wasn't to be.  Also at a show many years ago I noticed an early unrestored V16 Cadillac boattail.  I knew from the original color on the car that it must have come from India.  A peculiar pinkish orange color that was popular in India as a color for stuccoed buildings. I asked the owner and sure enough he had found it in India.  Remember, prior to 1947 India was ruled by fantastically wealthy Maharajas.  I would bet that there are magnificent cars still to be discovered in India.

[dodge28]

Restorer32, I saw a huge Boat Tail, sort of pinkish, I knew it was not a Chrysler Boat Tail, It was too large to be a Chrysler. It moved quickly and I did not get a good look.

[Peter Gariepy]

share the YouTube video link

[dodge28]

Hi Peter, I have Voice Activated Remote TV . "Call Vintage Car Rally In Mumbai" and there will be 3 videos appearing.

Vintage Car Rally,  14 K views.

Mumbai Car Rally,  $.4 K views

Vintage and Classic Car Rally, 3 K views.

Start one going and the rest will follow.

Hope this helps.

 

Harry in Thornhill. Ontario,Can, 

[Peter Gariepy]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Call+Vintage+Car+Rally+In+Mumbai

 

 

[8E45E]

3 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

Remember, prior to 1947 India was ruled by fantastically wealthy Maharajas.  I would bet that there are magnificent cars still to be discovered in India.

But then, you had to still watch out for cows and give them the right-of-way!!

 

Craig

[Mark Huston]

Studebaker had a sales office in India from at least the 1920s.   Here are pictures of a 1929 or 1930 Studebaker GJ Commander 6 touring that was posted on a Facebook group by the owner who participated in a car show in New Delhi, India last month, February 2023.   The owner stated he doesn’t know of another one like his Commander in India, however, he knows of one in Pakistan.   
 

One thing about the car i find interesting is the bell between the driving light and the radiator.   

[Walt G]

15 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Let me tell you, a proper English chutney aka Branston Pickle makes American versions seem positively tasteless.

ABSOLUTELY !!!!!

[Marty Roth]

16 hours ago, Bloo said:

17 hours ago, dodge28 said:

I saw  a  parade of antique cars  in Mumbai , India a HOLMAN high wheeler in beautiful condition running on its own  power. How did that car got to India ?

 

Very, very, very slowly......  

 

 

Ok, I'll show myself out now.

 

 

Did the buyer, or the transporter have to "Float A-Loan"?

[8E45E]

2 hours ago, Mark Huston said:

One thing about the car i find interesting is the bell between the driving light and the radiator.   

That would obviously be for the cows to move out of one's way. 

 

Remember, cows were sacred there, and not to be physically touched, whether on the road, or otherwise.  

 

Craig

[Fordy]

3 hours ago, Walt G said:

ABSOLUTELY !!!!!

Not to mention a good Indian Brinjal Pickle - that will make the Branston pale to insignificance.

[hidden_hunter]

Wife’s family was in British India up until independence and they had a car + driver 

[TAKerry]

13 hours ago, 8E45E said:

That would obviously be for the cows to move out of one's way. 

 

Remember, cows were sacred there, and not to be physically touched, whether on the road, or otherwise.  

 

Craig

I know an Indian fellow with antique motorcycles, he has a whistle on one bike that runs off of the carb. It was used by the gov't officials as a signal in the wilderness to summon help from fellow officers when they found people poaching trees in the forest. He says the sound travels for many miles and they are extremely rare to find today. Different bits for different cultures.

[Restorer32]

Traveling in India in 1970 I noticed that when cars came to a stop at a light, obviously in the big cities, every car turned off their ignition until the light changed. Seemed like about 90% of the cars you saw were yellow and black Fiat Ambassadors. And it's no myth. There were cows everywhere.  I studied for a while at Patna University.  Patna is the capital of Bihar State.  Mornings I would walk the 3/4 mile or so from where I was staying to the campus.  One morning I decided to count the cows that were actually in the street during my walk. I stopped counting at 120. 

[SC38dls]

I guess you didn’t have to ask “where’s the beef”. 
dave s 

[rocketraider]

1 hour ago, SC38dls said:

I guess you didn’t have to ask “where’s the beef”. 
dave s 

Would probably have elicited this response:

 

I'm reminded of the first time I went to an East Indian restaurant. Menu was pages of chicken, pork and lamb dishes and I was about to ask if they had any beef dishes. And then I remembered where I was.

 

The pork vindalho was delicious btw. Mouth-burning hot, but delicious.

[Buffalowed Bill]

I've seen some freakishly high hour restorations completed in India. The cars are not necessarily high valued models, at least over here. I suspect that it's a combination of inexpensive labor and the limits to the availability of unusual cars. Someone mentioned Cuba, and I can see the similarity. 

[jeff_a]

Nice to read the account of the Holman vehicle in Bombay. I read something about the automobile situation in India, circa 1903. The writer stated there were only 25 cars in the whole country, and it was the opinion of the locals that they could only be possible because of a god inside each one. Remember -- this was pre-Rolls-Royce -- so a 1903 Pierce or Peerless could have showed up, but one of them was an impossibility. 

 

The presence of American cars abroad is really pretty large. Norway's American car club is such a big deal their headquarters is a new 3-story building.

 

A look at Indian car museums turns up a few:

 

 

Museums / Car / India

From sources across the web

 

Auto World Vintage Car Museum

Ahmedabad

 

 

Ashvek Vintage World Car Museum

Nuvem

 

 

Heritage Transport Museum

 

 

 

Sudha Car Museum

Hyderabad

 

 

The Titus Museum of Transportation and Collectibles

New Delhi

 

 

Gedee Car Museum

Coimbatore

 

 

Treasured Wheels

Batakuchi N.C.

 

 

Vintage and Classic Car Museum

Udaipur

 

 

 

[rocketraider]

Proves there are old car lovers all over the world.

 

1 hour ago, jeff_a said:

Nice to read the account of the Holman vehicle in Bombay. I read something about the automobile situation in India, circa 1903. The writer stated there were only 25 cars in the whole country, and it was the opinion of the locals that they could only be possible because of a god inside each one.

 

Hinduism has thousands of deities. I once asked a Hindu friend how they kept up with them all and his reply was "we don't". Apparently the major deities are followed by all, but a lot of the lesser ones are specific to geographic areas, towns or tribal groups. Always fascinating to learn of other cultures, and how they interpret cars.

[dodge28]

I have Voice Activated Remote . "Call Vintage Car Rally In Mumbai" and there will be 3 videos.

Vintage Car Rally,  14 K views.

Mumbai Car Rally,  $.4 K views

Vintage and Classic Car Rally, 3 K views.

Start one going and the rest will follow.

Hope this helps.

 

Harry in Thornhill. Ontario,Can, 

[8E45E]

14 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Proves there are old car lovers all over the world.

 

Hinduism has thousands of deities. I once asked a Hindu friend how they kept up with them all and his reply was "we don't". Apparently the major deities are followed by all, but a lot of the lesser ones are specific to geographic areas, towns or tribal groups. Always fascinating to learn of other cultures, and how they interpret cars.

Car shows seem to be one place cultural barriers are broken where the vintage vehicles seem to be a weakness for all who love them.   

 

Craig

[Restorer32]

 

In village India where I lived for a time there were no cars, possibly because the nearest road was about 3 miles away.

[dodge28]

Look at a rally from London to Brighton. The cars were limited to 1904, I think because that was the oldest one in the parade. A 1904 DOGCART

There were cars like 1902 Bergman High wheeler, !900 Dion De Burton  with 4 seats , 2 seats facing each with  the steering  between them. Many 1903 Caddies, Lutsman, Panhard,1902 Peerless, 1903 Daraque, Peugos, Benz. Not Mercedez. and many other  old cars . The drivers were dressed in period costumes. Americans were spotted driving their old cars in the parade also. There were 10 1902 Olds. One young fellow actually painted a moustache to look period. You will love it. 

 

This show is on YOUTUBE...   RALLY, LONDON TO BRIGHTON

[dictator27]

6 hours ago, dodge28 said:

Look at a rally from London to Brighton. The cars were limited to 1904, I think because that was the oldest one in the parade. A 1904 DOGCART

There were cars like 1902 Bergman High wheeler, !900 Dion De Burton  with 4 seats , 2 seats facing each with  the steering  between them. Many 1903 Caddies, Lutsman, Panhard,1902 Peerless, 1903 Daraque, Peugos, Benz. Not Mercedez. and many other  old cars . The drivers were dressed in period costumes. Americans were spotted driving their old cars in the parade also. There were 10 1902 Olds. One young fellow actually painted a moustache to look period. You will love it. 

 

This show is on YOUTUBE...   RALLY, LONDON TO BRIGHTON

Not the oldest car, the NEWEST car which can participate in the London to Brighton emancipation run is one made no later than 1904.