Spotted RollsRoyce Silver Ghost 1922

[MARKS]

gr8 to see these carz
@ kc
read ur all replies u got gr8 info (Y) and u shared nice pics (Y)

[AsadIshaque]

@ kc

Thanks a lot for the explanation. Thanks even more for the juicy 'as found' pic. Just love these kind of 'discovered' and 'as found' pics. I guess the paint you see after the wash was the original?

I note that the whole wheel caps are intact in the dusty car pic. These were seen in one of the old pictures you posted of the car. Im sure you must have stored those carefully.

 I assume the engine had an oil bath filter not needing a change of filter element.

Best regards.

[AsadIshaque]

Im quite SICKENED (sorry thats the only appropriate word I can find) by the fact that some younger people are trying to put a monetary value on this priceless gem!

Shows their ignorance about collectible autos.

This is not a Mehran with metallic colors and CNG!!

[mohsinikram]

@IKJ and others

this is a Barker bodied Silver Ghost. This car was not used by the Quaid. Karim Chhapra's RR was the one loaned to the government of Pakistan for the oath taking cermony. It remained in Quaid's and Lord Mountbattens use for some time. I have obtained the authentic record / pic from Sindh Archives Department. karim's car is also shown regularly on Pakistan Day tv programs.

The subject RR was actually bought by a senior VCCCP member who had deposited a bank draft of 34 lacs as required after the auction. The Prince who helped our friend cheated with him and accepted a higher offer from someone else while our friend was waiting for this car to arrive in Karachi. This car unfortunately is not with an enthusiast of what I hear. To clean the radiator grille, they used an emry paper instead of using a soft cotton cloth and parrafin. The car is fabolous and needs a good home. It is not one of the most desirable of Rolls Royce body of that time and would be worth in the region of 60,000 - 80,000 GB Pounds. Karim's car is worth about GBP 200,000/- as it's a rare body design.

Nawab of Bahawalpur cars were alright for this part of the world but were'nt the best cars that one could buy in that era. The other car of the Nawab which deserves mention here is the V16 Cadillac Limousine. That car is much more desirable and more expansive than this RR. Nawab's fleet incl. about 14 ROlls Royce cars, some Cadillacs, a couple of Lincolns, Bristols, Humber, a triumph GT6, Buicks etc. NO BENTLEY, DELAGE, DELAHAYE, BUGATTI, VOISIN, ISSOTA FRACHINI, ALFA ROMEO, DUESENBERG, CORD ETC ETC. NOW THESE WERE THE CARS THAT OVERSHADOWED THE RR ON MANY COUNTS. One special car that the Nawab family still has and nobody talks about is the 1926 Lancia Lambda special bodied 2 door tourer.....that car is rare and highly collectible and perhaps much more expansive than the above mentioned RR. One remark I read in this thread was that the nawab's cars were one-off and nobody had such cars. This is incorrect. With a few exceptions maybe, all of Nawab's cars were the most ordinary (expansive range)cars that one could buy. There were better and more exclusive RR's, cadillacs, lincolns and Buicks available in those times but we have been unfortunate in not having rich people who were car connoisseurs. My observations above are in no way to undermine the cars that the Nawab had but it is only to inform you all that these cars were not extraordinary and there were much better cars available at the time. I have visited India three times in 3 years and have seen many collections there. Go to www.vcccp.com.

[romano]

@Mohsin, I notice Tayyab has posted a pic of a Royce which he says belonged to the Quaid. Where is this car normally to be seen and whats its story? Phantom 4, Silver Wraith? Not really an expert on these machines; pray do tell.

[mohsinikram]

@romano
that RR is a 1947 Silver Wraith ordered by the Government of Pakistan for Governor General as per a book on RR cars (can't remember the name - I had bought the book from the Jinnah Market Isb and dont have it anymore). I'll go backwards in history of this car. Arif Hashwani the current owner bought it from my friend Adnan Bhabha whose father had bought this car from the British High Commission in early 1970's or maybe the late 1960's. One story has it that this car was ordered by the British High Commission for Lord Mountbattens visit....I have yet to see a picture of this car with the Quaid or a mention anywhere except that one book that the car was ordered by GOP. The book also said that artificial glue was used in the upholstery instead of animal glue on Mr. Jinnah's instructions. One thing is certain, the car was not owned by Quaid who was not into British cars for obvious reasons. His own car in Pakistan was a Packard and the official car given to him was the Cadillac.

[alvis]

Mohsin,

The Bahawalpur collection was a good one as you said but you have forgotten the most important car they had!!

That was the 500 K Mercedes Benz from 1936/7 with a body by Barker. It was exported out of Pakistan around 1967 and was recently for sale on E bay with a reserve price of $ 2 million. Do not know if it sold or not.
They did have two or three Bentley'd too, a 4 1/4 litre Derby and a 1952 Mark IV, both docoumented in Bentley archives.
The 4 1/4 used to be in lahore in the 40's stationed outside Bahawalpur House in Aitchison College and was used by Sir Sadiq when he was a student at Aitchison.

I think you are being very optimistic about the value on the Ghosts, you can pick up an Alpine Eagle which is the second rarest Ghost for around 180,000 GBP so nice as Karim's car is I do not think it is worth that kind of money.
Value aside it is a lovely automobile and Karim has done a good job and the car has found a loving home.

[mohsinikram]

@alvis
I remembered the 540K but since it wasnt here anymore I didn't mention it. The car's asking price was $545,000/-. It was the lowest mileage 540K B in the world and one of the most original. Here are a few pictures for the benefit of PW members.

[mohsinikram]

some more pics....and some text on the car that ws posted on ebay.......

Back in the Thirties, the incredibly steep price of every single 540 K ensured that only royalty, captains of industry and assorted dictators and potentates could even get on the waiting list to obtain such a singularly luxurious and powerful automobile.

Less than 200 examples of the 540 K Cabriolet "B" were carefully hand-built by Old World craftsmen during six years of production. Almost all surviving 540s have been carefully documented in glossy coffee-table books.
The car for auction here comes with a full provenance and is one of the lowest-mileage, most original Kompressors on the planet.
Sold new to Mercedes Benz of England, the completed RHD chassis (including engine) # 154068 was shipped on February 1, 1937.

The car's original owner was the Pakistani Royal Family. Remember, Pakistan was part of the British Empire back then; all luxury goods were subject to stiff tariffs and had to be shipped east via His Majesty George VI's homeland After three decades of serving as the Royal coach at occasional parades and wedding celebrations, the majestic 540K, originally owned by Prince N.H. Nawab of Bahawlpur, was sold to Norbert Kolenski, a wealthy businessman of German origin

This exquisite Milestone Car is currently located in Southern California, between Orange County and San Diego, ready for inspection by qualified parties. The owner has just reduced his asking price by $80,000.00, to $545,000.00; the car is being offered locally and the auction could be ended anytime, should a suitable offer be accepted.
Please direct all questions regarding this car to me personally at office@carmaxx.at

[HotEngine]

Nice And Expensive Thing

[kc]

Hi Guys
Me and Mohsin were at Jinnah House this evening took some beautiful photos we would like to share with you all and take your comments

[mohsinikram]

@kc
nice pictures but you should have posted them in our (VCCCP) thread....post them there also

[alvis]

Mohsin,

There is something wrong here. the Amir's car was a 500 K and was bodied by Barker. It did not have the Cab B Sindelfingen bodywork. It was a four door design, not two doors of the Cab B design.
The reserve price was $ 2 Million. This is not the car that was on e bay a year or so back. The price is totally unbelievable, $575,000, which translates to GBP 237,000. At this price you will have a que two miles long and this car would be sold in two secs!! Looks like a scam.
The speedo pics though are of the BWP car.

[mohsinikram]

@alvis
hehe!!!I don't know but the pictures and text are from that ebay auction only. Thats the only time I have seen this car on the web....

[kc]

Some more Rolls Royce from Nawab of Bhawalpur's collection

[hj2006]

@Kc
What happen to these 3 RR in the pictures above?

[mohsinikram]

@kc & hj

I suggest that we should stop posting in this thread as ppl are trying to sell this car here by using incorrect information about it's history. Moreover, I have been told that the car has been bought by the Hashwanis and it'll be placed inside the lobby of Isb Marriott. Let this be the last message on this thread.

[kc]

some new photos on this thread just to keep it alive

[Shujjah]

@ KC
Can u kindly tell me if these cars are still property of Nawab of Bhawalpur or they have been sold, if sold then where and when have u taken these pics. And how many RRs Nawab had at the time u bought ur RR. I will be looking forward to ur reply.

[kc]

@shujja sorry for late reply to your question as we are mostly on Vintage and classic car culb of pakistan thread any way all the cars of nawab of bhawalpur have been sold except one Rolls Royce darbari which is still in the palace.The photos are taken on different events or car rally arranged by VCCCP club .