Mysore Maharaja's Rolls-Royce To Be Auctioned

Updated: Thursday, January 3, 2013, 11:24 [IST]

The Indian Royalty has always been a fan of cars. Rolls-Royce was one car that you could find in any Royal Palace in India before independence. The maharajas of Mysore were keen motorists and had a huge fleet of luxury cars which included several Rolls-Royces. Each of these cars are part of India's rich history. One of them is now being auctioned by auctioneer Bonhams this September in London.

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, who was Mysore's maharaja from 1902 - 1940owned this iconic Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The Maharaja preferred using this Silver Ghost for its quality and ability to handle Indian roads. This car was first ordered by the Maharaja for the Delhi Durbar in 1911.

This classic RR Silver Ghost is expected to fetch £300,000 to £400,000 (RS.2.1 crores to Rs.2.8 crores). The car's auction will be held on September 16th. Another historic item to be auctioned on the same day will be a gold pendant from the treasury of Tipu Sultan.

While the original body work of the car was that of a soloon, the Maharaja is said to have had it changed to an open car so that he could see his lands and interact with people while he travelled around Mysore.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost car is nearly hundred years old. The car was owned by the Mysore royal family until the 1960s when it was sold to Victor Barclay in the UK. It has been maintained in mint condition and even won the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Class during the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Article Published On: Friday, August 26, 2011, 13:06 [IST]

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