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• Auction House:
  Donington Auctions
• Sale Name:
  Collectors' Motorcycles, Cars & Horse Drawn Carriages - Featuring the Private Museum of Racing Driver Bryan Thomson
• Sale Date:
  20 Jun 2021 ~ 2pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  53
• Lot Description:
  A FINE DOUBLE-SUSPENSION PICNIC WAGONETTE BY WINDOVER, LONDON, CIRCA 1890
  Built for HRH the Maharajah of Wadhwan, north-west India. This beautifully constructed eight seat wagonette represented the highest possible luxury in coachbuilt passenger vehicles in the 1890s when it was ordered by the Maharajah of Wadhwan for carrying his guests on tiger hunting expeditions in the mountains surrounding his prosperous north Indian provence. Windovers were favoured by orders from several Maharajahs and established agencies in Bombay and Calcutta to receive and process orders, assemble and prepare carriages when they arrived in India from London and Paris, and provide maintenance to their products for their wealthy clientele. This wagonette has numerous special features to set it apart from more ordinary carriages. The superb Harrington Patent wire wheels were developed in London for use on hansom carriages, for which they were considered ideal requiring no maintenance which would keep the hire vehicles out of service several times each year. The cast iron hubs proved extremely strong, and enclosed modern roller bearings which reduced the effort required for the horses to pull the vehicle. Unfortunately, before they were in general use, the motor car began to supplant horse drawn cabs and they were infrequently used for that purpose, however their value was appreciated in hot climates like India where remote areas may not have always had the skilled wheelwrights required to maintain wooden carriage wheels, and many luxury vehicles ordered by Maharajahs were fitted with Harrington wheels. The wheels have a channelled rim carrying rubber tyres making the ride on gravel roads almost silent compared with iron tyres. The full elliptic suspension supports large 'c' springs with leather thorough bracing upon which the coachwork is supported, giving a very comfortable ride, and the hooded front seat also has sprung and feathered cushions. The Joel's catalogue for 28th July 1976 at which the Maharajah of Wadhwan's carriage collection was sold describes the erstwhile Maharajah's circumstances: 'His Highness the Maharajah of Wadhwan, or Thakore-Sahib, princely ruler of Wadhwan Province. Wadhwan, a large thriving province of over 50,000 people, is situated in the mid-west of India and covers an area of approximately 243 square miles. His Highness was one of sixteen maharajahs who formed the West Indian States Agency under the AGG. His income, although regarded as moderate, was in excess of one hundred thousand dollars per annum, a relatively large amount by our western standards. The Indian assessment of importance is gauged by the number of guns used in a salute; the Maharajah of Wadhwan had nine guns; the highest number used in a salute was for the Nizam of Hyderabad with twenty-one. In the early 1890s, the then Maharajah was well known throughout India and the British gentry for his passionate love of horse racing and was said to have one of the largest stables in the west of India. His transport, which was in excess of fifty horse drawn vehicles of various kinds, were only disposed of as late as 1949, after India declared independence. He kept only a few vehicles which were his favourites. He also founded many large industries, the one of greatest importance being the glassworks in the neighbouring town of Surendrangar. His personal staff was in excess of five hundred people. It is also interesting to note that the seven of his horse drawn vehicles which are to be offered ((at Joels in 1976) have been in storage since 1940.' The vehicle is completely original and whilst basic cosmetic restoration is required, it is complete except for the pole, and structurally sound.
• Provenance:
  HRH Thakore Sahib Balsimhji Chandrasimhji, the Maharajah of Wadhwan, Joels, Melbourne, July 1976 'The Collection of HRH the Maharajah of Wadhwan'; Private collection, Adelaide; Mill Pond Farm Collection, Braidwood NSW; Private collection, Goulburn, NSW
• Estimate:
  A$20,000 - 30,000
• Realised Price:
  $0.00
• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.