Vintage cars

There was Vintage cars exhibition at Nehru science centre. 🙂

Below are some pictures and information.

Ford Quadricycle, 1896 make

Owned by Hemant Ruia

The Ford Quadricycle was the first vehicle developed by Henry Ford. Ford’s first car was a simple frame with an ethanol – power engined and four bicycle wheels mounted on it. The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and very expensive. The peculiar machine was seen as toys for the rich.

In the 1890s, the “horseless carriage” was a relatively new idea, with no one having a fixed, universal idea of what a car should look like or how it should work. Most of the first car builders were inventors, rather than businessmen, working with their imaginations and the parts they had on hand. Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for the future, with more practical designs to follow.

Benz Patent Wagon, 1886 make

Owned by Hemant Ruia

On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his “vehicle powered by a gas engine.” The patent number 37435 – may be regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile. In July 1886 the newspapers reported on the first public outing of the three – wheeled Benz Patent Motor Car, model no. 1.

The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was a three-wheeled automobile with a rear-mounted engine. The vehicle contained many new inventions. It was constructed of steel tubing with woodwork panels. The steel-spoked wheels and solid rubber tires were Benz’s own design. Steering was by way of a toothed rack that pivoted the unsprung front wheel. Fully elliptic springs were used at the back along with a beam axle and chain drive on both sides. A simple belt system served as a single-speed transmission, varying torque between an open disc and drive disc.

Ford Model T, 1915 make

Owned by Siddharth Khona

The Ford Model T is an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that opened travel to the common middle-class American; some of this was because of Ford’s efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting.

The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, ahead of the BMC Mini, Citroën DS, and Volkswagen Type 1. With 16.5 million sold it stands eighth on the top ten list of most sold cars of all time as of 2012.

Packard Twin Six, 1919 make

Owned by Amal Tanna

Since the company’s inception in 1899, the Packard Motor Car Company established its reputation as the maker of one of the world’s finest motorcars. Under the leadership of engineer Jesse Vincent, a twelve-cylinder engine was introduced. By late 1915, production began on the model dubbed the ‘Twin Six.’

There were 7,746 examples of the Packard Twin Six sold in 1916, its introductory year, with figures increasing to 8,899 in 1917. This was an amazing accomplishment considering the relatively high starting price of $2,600 that these luxury cars demanded.

This particular Touring car is a Model 3-35 Twin Six. It has been driven just 8,000 miles that remains in highly original condition. It is finished in black and Packard blue over straw wheels. There is an aluminum dash board which houses all the original instruments and equipment.

Ford Model A, 1929 make

Owned by Sameer Kadam

Henry Ford was always convinced that people should satisfy themselves with nothing more than a good, simple and economical car. At the price of great efforts, his inner circle finally succeed in eroding his stubborness and, in May 1927, after having produced more than 15,000,000 Model Ts since 1908, Ford closes his plants for many months in order to retool his assembly lines for the production of his next legend: the Model A.

The latter will ultimately be produced in 5,000,000 copies between 1928 and 1931. This new miracle is equally attributable to Henry and his son Edsel.

At the end of WWII, the Model A would generate the largest gathering of enthusiasm around a single model that no other has ever equaled since. The abundance and ease with which technical information and new or refurbished parts can be found had made the Model A the easiest vintage car to buy, understand and maintain.

Graham Paige Phaeton, 1930 make

Owned by Hemant Ruia

The Graham-Paige 835 was introduced at the New York Automobile Show in January 1928. It was powered by a 120 bhp, 5279 cc straight eight-cylinder L-head engine bought in from Continental. The transmission was a Warner Gear four-speed unit with first intended only as a reserve or emergency gear, second for normal starts and third and fourth as a choice as top gear depending on road conditions. The 135-inch (3,400 mm) wheelbase chassis had balloon tires and pressed steel wheels.

Hudson Phaeton, 1933 make

Owned by Nitin Dossa

The 1933 Essex-Terraplane 8-cylinder cars were believed to have the highest horsepower-to-weight ratio of any production automobiles in the world, and were favored by several gangsters of the day, particularly John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and John Paul Chase, for their lightness, acceleration, handling, and discreet appearance.

The Essex-Terraplane Eight was distinguished by having vent doors on the hood as opposed to all six-cylinder versions that had stamped hood louvers. A 1933 Terraplane 8 convertible coupe set a record for the race to the summit of Mount Washington that remained unbroken for over twenty years. Essex-Terraplanes participated in innumerable record events around the United States, and some others around the world setting dozens of records at many venues. Their particular strength was in hillclimbs.

Packard Super 8, 1932 make

Owned by Viveck Goenka

The 1933-1936 Packard Super Eight was a big, strong, beefy Classic. It shared much of the mighty Twelve’s chassis and body componentry through 1936, after which it was reduced to a much smaller, lighter, and more modern design. Gradually outdistanced by the Twelve in price, the Super Eight thus falls in a grey area among collectors.

Steyr Model – Type II, 1921 make

Owned by Vivek Pittie

Vivek M Pittie who was behind his 1921 Type II Steyr bagged a couple of top honours, first in the Concours D’Elegance for the Best Vintage Car and also for the Best Performance Vintage Car category.

Rolls Royce Phantom II, 1930 make

Owned by Viveck Goenka

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II was the third and last of Rolls-Royce’s 40/50 hp models, replacing the New Phantom in 1929. It used an improved version of the Phantom I engine in an all-new chassis. A “Continental” version, with a short wheelbase and stiffer springs, was offered.

The Phantom II was featured in the films The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Rolls Royce Wraith, 1939 make

Owned by Nitin Dossa

Wraith is an old Scottish word meaning Ghost or Spirit, continuing Rolls-Royce’s new nomenclature that they had adopted, using words relating to silent, gracious, elegant, rarely seen and highly sought after for these reasons. In fact, the Wraith name originated from a 40/50 h.p, (Silver Ghost) that was named ‘The Wraith’ by its original owner.

Avon Standard Model SS, 1933 make 

 Owned by Nitin Dossa

The Standard Motor Company is the largest that so few have heard.

It grew from a tiny workshop in Coventry to become one of the biggest car manufacturing companies in the country, employing some 11,000 people at its peak. They also supplied independent car builders with major components during the 1930s, including Railton and Swallow sidecars. Later renamed SS and then Jaguar.

Avon’s designer Charles fredrick Beauvais, penned some astonishingly good looking cars during the mid 1930s. With the ambition to move upmarket and the use of more steel panels, the bodies became heavier and slower. By 1937 Avon found themselves in direct competition with Jaguar.

MG Model TD, 1951 make

Owned by Amir Ali Jetha

The MG T series is a range of body-on-frame open two-seater sports cars with very little weather protection that were produced by MG from 1936 to 1955. The series included the MG TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, and MG TF Midget models. The last of these models, the TF, was replaced by the MGA.

The TD featured smaller 15-inch (380 mm) disc type road wheels, a left-hand drive option and standard equipment bumpers and over-riders. The car was also 5 inches (130 mm) wider with a track of 50 inches (1,300 mm). It was seen by enthusiasts at the time as a disappointment, mild and “not a sports car”, the new model is largely designed to consolidate and expand the car’s sale in North America. The first TD’s were actually built in late 1949.

Ford Super, 1948 make

Owned by Xerrxes Master

The Ford car was thoroughly updated in 1941, in preparation for a time of unpredictability surrounding World War II. The 1941 design would continue in an aborted 1942 model year and would be restarted in 1946 and produced until 1948 when the more modern 1949 Fords were ready.

The 1947-1948 Fords truly marked the end of an era. Old Henry Ford passed away peacefully in his sleep the night of April 7,1947. His last personal car was a dark blue 1942 Super DeLuxe Fordor sedan with a 1946 Super DeLuxe grille. Not long before his death, he and Clara saw a clay of the forthcoming 1949 Ford.

The final year for the old-style Ford was 1948, with an all-new model launched partway through the year. The wood-sided Sportsman convertible, supplied by the Ford Iron Mountain Plant, ended the year with just 28 built, and the all-wood bodies on the woody station wagons were replaced with steel for the 1949 season. The old car-based trucks were replaced by the F-Series this year.

In the 1984 film The Karate Kid, Mr Miyagi gives Daniel Larusso a cream- coloured 1948, Ford Super DeLuxe convertible as a birthday gift. The car was actually a gift to Ralph Macchio from the film’s producer. To this day, Macchio still owns the car.

Chevrolet Impala, 1960 make

Owned by Hormusji Cama

Noted as one of Chevrolet’s most historic vehicles, the Impala has been an American legend for decades. Setting a standard in comfort and value, the Impala seemed to set the bar for the American muscle car. A full-size sedan built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors, the Impala was introduced for the 1958 model year. The Impala was Chevrolet’s priciest passenger model through 1965 and became the best-selling full-size vehicle in the U.S.

The Impala was also used to represent Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series.

Adler Trumph Junior, 1936 make

Owned by Sameer Kadam

Adler may not be a name that immediately rings a bell for even the most dedicated enthusiast, but this German manufacturer traces its roots back to the very genesis of the automotive industry. The Trumph was conceived in 1934 as a smaller, more approachable model that was meant to move the company into a broader market and increase profits.

Buick Super 8 Convertible, 1947 make

Owned by Jerxis Vandrewala

In 1903, the Buick Motor Car Company was formed by David Dunbar Buick. In 1907, over 725 vehicles were produced and one year later, it grew drastically to over 8,800 with the help of the ever-popular Model 10. By 1940, Buick had moved into the higher end and larger car range. Even though over 16,500,000 cars use the Buick name, Mr. Buick was only involved with 120 of them.

The 1940’s Buick design, took a different turn than most of its competition. With fuller grilles having horizontal bars, the headlamps were set-back into the fenders, hoods that opened much differently, and more space throughout provided a different choice for consumers. Most Buicks of this time came with dual carburetors as standard options. The convertibles came with an automatic power top, which was a great luxury option of that era.

Cord 810, 1936 make

Owned by Viveck Goenka

The car caused a sensation at the New York Auto Show in November 1935. Orders were taken at the show with Cord promising Christmas delivery, expecting production of 1,000 per month. Production delays pushed the expected delivery date to February 1936. This proved optimistic; the first production vehicles were not delivered until April. In all, Cord managed to sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year. The car is well known for the flat front nose with a louvered grille design. The front was so similar in look to a coffin, the car was often called “Coffin Nose“.

The original design for the Batmobile was a red convertible based on the Cord 812, which Batman creator Bob Kane considered one of his favorite vehicles and fitting for the millionaire vigilante.

Riley RM 1.5 ltr, 1946 make

Owned by Dinesh Lal

The Riley RM Series is an executive car which was produced by Riley from 1945 to 1955. It was the last model developed independently by Riley prior to the 1952 merger of Riley’s still new owner Nuffield, with Austin to form BMC. The RM series was originally produced in Coventry, but in 1949 production moved to the MG works at Abingdon.

The RM was inspired by Riley Motors’ successful and stylish pre-war 1½ and 2½ Litre Kestrel Saloons but the new cars featured a new chassis. The new chassis with its Riley “torsionic” independent front-wheel suspension incorporated the experience of the wartime years.

Bristol Model 400, 1948 make

Owned by Amit Sapre

Britsol Cars was a branch of an established aerospace company which launched its first motorcar in 1947, the Bristol 400. The 400 was really a revised version of the pre-war BMW 2-Litre, built with a timber framed body featuring steel panels. Later models had their own unique styling and featured lightweight bodies constructed using the Superleggera method.

The Bristol 400 luxury car is the first automotive product of the British Bristol Aeroplane Company. After World War II, BAC decided to diversify and formed a car division, which would later be the Bristol Cars company in its own right. BAC subsequently acquired a licence from Frazer Nash to build BMW models.

Chrysler Windsor Coupe, 1946 make

Owned by Nitin Dossa

The Windsor first came out in 1939. It was a junior model to the larger Chrysler New Yorker. In 1940, the Windsor came in either long or short wheelbase versions as a 6-passenger sedan, a 6-passenger coupe, a convertible, a Victoria sedan, or an 8-passenger sedan.

After the war, the Windsor was put back into production. It was similar to the 1942 models. New things included a handbrake warning signal that warned that the handbrake was not fully released, and a new grille. Tank capacity was 17 US gallons. There was full instrumentation.

The Windsor made up 62.9% of the company’s sales.

Mercedes Benz 170 V Cabriolet, 1938 make

Owned by Vivek Himatsingka

At its launch in March 1936, the 170 V was available in a wealth of body variants scarcely imaginable today. The range comprised: two- or four-door saloon, convertible saloon, two-door open tourer, Convertible B and two-seater roadster. At the International Motor and Motorcycle Show, the 170 V was still on display without a rear bumper. From July, all variants were delivered with rear corner guards.

Triumph Motorcycle, 1911 make

Owned by Nitin Dossa

Triumph Engineering Co Ltd was a British motorcycle manufacturing company, based originally in Coventry and then in Solihull at Meriden.

At the time it was about the best you could buy, at the previous years TT races, Triumphs like this had won the race and taken the first 8 places with the fastest bike averaging almost 48mph over the mountain course.

he 1911 Triumph was one of the most durable and reliable motorcycles ever made. The 3.5hp, 500cc motor would cruise up to speeds of 50-55 mph, setting many endurance records in its day. There is a free engine clutch housed in the rear wheel hub, actuated with a heel/toe foot pedal, while transmission is by a simple V-belt. The motorcycle’s frame sets low, and the springer front fork is Triumph’s own. Stopping, by Triumph’s own words, is with “a powerful front rim brake” and the rear has a similar brake that retards against the belt drum. The rear stand does not interfere with the removal of the wheel, for flat tires, while the front stand acts as the front fender stay when clipped out of use.

Bsa M20, 1947 make

Owned by Sanford D’Lima

The BSA M20 was a British motorcycle made by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Although initially viewed as a near failure by the War Office in 1936, the M20 evolved into one of the longest serving motorcycles in the history of British military motorcycling, as well as becoming the most numerous type produced for World War II with 126,000 in active service. Many are still in use around the world today.

BMW R 50, 1955 make

Owned by Roopesh Thakkar

BMW’s motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) introduced the first motorcycle under its name, the R32, in 1923 to 1925.

The model R 50 is one of BMW in the second half of 1950 produced annual motorcycle with two-cylinder four-stroke – OHV – boxer engine . It is the basic model of a whole series of largely identical touring and sports motorcycles with different types of engines.

Vespa Sportique, 1963 make

Owned by Sanjeev Bhiwandkar

Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by Piaggio.

Vespa became highly popular among young riders, who chose it to for being easily manageable and aesthetically pleasing. In order to attract a wider audience, Piaggio introduced the Vespa 50, which was promoted with the slogan “Young, Modern and … without documents”. It was a Vespa that, according to the rules of the Highway Code in 1963, could be driven without plates and without a license starting from the age of 14. The Vespa 50 was the last scooter designed by Corradino D’Ascanio and the 50cc is a landmark in the history of Vespa: from 1964 to the present, more than 3 million 50cc models have been produced

Rajdoot GTS, 1977 make

Owned by Jayesh More

The Honda NAVi isn’t India’s first mini-bike. That status firmly belongs to the Rajdoot GTS, a bike that borrowed the 175 cc two stroke engine and a 3 speed gearbox from the regular Rajdoot. The GTS acquired a sizeable fan following after the movie Bobby featured it, with Rishi Kapoor riding the bike to serenade Dimple Kapadia.

The Bobby and the Navi might be separated by half a century, but they still have so much in common. These are tiny, cute and luring in a very amiable way.

Moreover, the Bobby and the Navi are an epitome of simplicity. The Rajdoot GTS uses a two-stroke, air-cooled engine making the construction simple and robust. The brakes are drums, the wheels are steel, and there’s nothing fancy about its suspension either. It’s all old-school, humble stuff.

Yamaha Rajdoot, 1983 make (blue)

Owned by Anil Bhingarde

The Rajdoot, also known as the RD 350, is a two-stroke Yamaha motorcycle made in India by Escorts group from 1983 to 1989. RD stands for ‘Race derived’ , in India promoted by Rajdoot in collaboration with Yamaha Japan.  Even though the production of the air-cooled Yamaha RD350 had ended in Japan in the mid-1970s due to stringent emissions norms, it was a technically advanced motorcycle in the Indian market in 1983.

It was primarily targeted at the Royal Enfield Bullet 350, which was the biggest-capacity motorbike in India at the time. The Yezdi Roadking 250 was another competitor. However, the Rajdoot 350 was not a commercial success due to its relatively high fuel consumption in a cost-conscious Indian market. High purchase price, poor availability of expensive spare parts and lack of trained service personnel did not help either. After the runaway success of its smaller stablemate Yamaha RX 100 introduced in 1985, the Rajdoot 350 stayed in production as a flagship model, and production ended in 1990. The last bikes were reported to be sold in 1991.