A rare 1924 Vauxhall ordered to exacting standards by the last maharaja of Kashmir will be one of the highlights of Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale next month.
The Vauxhall 30-98 OE Velox Tourer was originally owned by Hari Singh, one of the most important figures in Kashmir’s history, and a man who knew what he wanted in a car.
Singh decided that just any old Vauxhall 30-98 wouldn’t suffice for him – despite it being recognised as one of the best British sports cars of its time – and decreed that it needed to be made more symmetrical.
To that end, an extra handbrake was included on the passenger side, a passenger door was added and the windscreen was divided in two. The result was a true one-off.
Singh ascended to the throne of Jammu and Kashmir in 1925 and presided over a tumultuous period that included the end of British rule in 1947. Faced with the decision of whether to join India or Pakistan, or remain independent, the maharaja leant towards India, thus sparking the first Indo-Pakistan war.
