Photos: India’s legacy of loving luxury cars
Gautam Sen’s new book, The Automobile: An Indian Love Affair, traces the history of automobiles in India over 130 years.
Gautam Sen’s new book, The Automobile: An Indian Love Affair, traces the history of automobiles in India over 130 years.
Updated on Jun 27, 2021 02:59 PM IST 9 Photos
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Gautam Sen’s book The Automobile: An Indian Love Affair (Penguin), tracks how cars shaped a young India’s rapidly evolving social structures. Cars replaced ornate carriages, and sparked a race between royals over who could procure the most over-the-top automobile.(Penguin India)
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A clear early winner was the Swan Car, originally designed for a British engineer stationed in Calcutta, Robert Mathewson. It was a 1910 Brooke with the front made to resemble a giant bird hissing steam from its nostrils.(Penguin India/ Louwman Museum)
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This 1939 Delahaye 135 was designed by Figoni et Falaschi. They came to the public’s attention when this model was introduced at the 1936 Paris Salon. The car’s low-slung rigid chassis and independent front suspension, made possible by a system of transverse leaf spring and radius rods was marvelled at. It’s now in the long-term ownership of Dalip Singh, from Jodhpur.(Penguin India/ Makarand Baokar)
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This Citroën Traction Avant, from a fleet produced from 1934 to 1957, was used by Calcutta resident Minnie Pan. She also raced it during the weekends when racing was a regular scene in the City of Joy.(Penguin India/ Makarand Baokar)
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