Rétromobile will showcase 15 of the most exotic and extravagant pre-war cars owned by the Indian Maharajas when it opens its doors next month.
Vehicles at the 5-9 February event include the Maharaja of Nabha's outrageous 1910 Swan Car – outlawed from Calcutta's roads when owned by Scotty Matthewson because of the furore it caused – plus its companion 1930 Cygnet car, Rolls-Royces converted for hunting and other ceremonial beauties.
There is also a unique ochre and black Figoni-bodied Delage D8 (below), bought from the 1930 Paris Salon by Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar of Indore, and the Mercedes-Benz Super Sports (above) ordered at the same show by Sir Hari Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite contenders from Rolls-Royce (a brace of 1926 Phantoms including the polished aluminium Silver Phantom of Hyderabad, plus the experimental 1928 Phantom I-17EX), one of the most spectacular vehicles on display will be the swooping Figoni et Falaschi 1938 Delahaye 135 that currently resides in the Mullin Automotive Museum in the USA.
Also on show will be an intriguing 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II (main image). Delivered to the Maharaja of Rewa with Hooper coachwork in 1930, it was subsequently turned into a limo by park Ward and then chopped into a four-seater cabrio hunting car
