The remarkable Maharaja cars in the Louwman Museum

In the first half of the twentieth century, India was partly Muslim, partly Hindu, and there was a very strong class division, the so-called castes. In contrast to Europe, where social distinctions are made more or less tacitly. At that time people knew exactly which caste they belonged to, and apart from marriage one remained in that caste. The higher the caste, the more important a person is.

The Maharaja (Hindu), or Nizam (Muslim), corresponded to what in Europe would be called "royal." Below them was the caste system with its various levels. It should be clear that the above titles were reserved for the rulers of the many regions that made up vast India. To complicate matters further, the English, who still held power at the time, had ranked the different territories according to importance. This distinction was expressed in the number of gun salutes fired on appropriate occasions. The most important state was Hyderabad with 23 shots. There were also territories without any gun salutes!

Haiderabad was the most important state because it was one of the largest and by far the most prosperous. The Nizam's wealth was legendary, and in the 1930s he was among the richest people in the world.

The Nizam of Hyderabad

It is said that he owned so many pearls that an Olympic size swimming pool could be filled with them. The Nizams means of transport was of course a Rolls Royce with a large throne built on it. It will therefore come as no surprise that his court had several very fine and luxurious vehicles.

One of these was a car known as the Silver Phantom of Hyderabad. It is an RR Phantom I, fitted with an elegant body by Barker, also known as the royal coachbuilder for Rolls-Royce. The owner of this car was the prime minister of Haiderabad. This man, the Nawab, had received a traditional English education (Eton, Cambridge and Sandhurst), so the choice of car brand was more or less obvious. The problem with a car like this Phantom was that it was used only sparingly. Naturally, it was brought out to transport visiting dignitaries such as the former and very short-lived King Edward VIII as well as the Viceroy of India, but that was about it.

1926 Rolls-Royce 40/50-HP Phantom Barker Torpedo Tourer

The presence of two large spotlights at the level of the windshield could indicate that this car was also used to bag some game around nightfall. In such circles, this was a favorite pastime.

In later years the car fell out of regular use but found a new life in the wedding circuit. Weddings in India are always grand affairs, and what could be a more suitable way to transport the bride and groom than a former state car? Countless young couples have used the car for the most important day of their lives.

Years later, this car was discovered by an English collector who eventually managed to acquire it. After spending some time in a museum in England, the car became part of the Louwman Museum collection.

Besides the Rolls-Royce, the Museum houses another car that was intended for use in India. This car originally belonged to someone who had earned a lot of money in India and apparently wanted to make this visible to everyone. This man, the Scot Robert "Scotty" Matthewson, lived in Calcutta.

At that time Calcutta was the second largest city of the British Empire (after London), and in the part of the city where Matthewson lived there was a large lake with a big population of swans. This, combined with his desire to own a striking vehicle, probably led him to have a vehicle built in England that would later become known as the "Swan Car". The builder was Brooke, a relatively unknown car manufacturer that was more at home in the maritime world as a (motor)boat builder. Money was no object and no expense or effort was spared to create an eye catching vehicle. The choice of Brooke instead of, for example, Rolls Royce was nevertheless remarkable. Malicious gossip claimed, moreover, that Rolls Royce was not willing to cooperate on such an extreme vehicle and therefore, most politely of course, had refused.

1910 Brooke 25/30-HP Swan Car

The appearance was that of a swan, probably inspired by the Swan Park in Calcutta, where Matthewson lived. A hardwood body was chosen, which gives the car a weight of about 3,000 kg. The car's accessories are well known: an organ, hot water from the swan's beak, and brushes to clean the tires.

The engine, an early six cylinder, delivered power that was quite respectable for its time, but limited for the weight of the car. However, it was never intended to achieve high speeds!

The car was christened with a bottle of champagne in Swan Park, after which it was named. Its first appearance in Calcutta traffic made the headlines: "Women began to scream" and "The cattle walking in the streets scattered in all directions." And this while traffic in Calcutta at that time (April 1910) was already very busy and chaotic. The reaction of the authorities was predictable, and the Swan Car was no longer allowed to appear on the streets.

Matthewson eventually decided to sell his car. A buyer was found in the person of the Maharaja of Nabha, a region a few hundred kilometers north of Delhi. Nabha was one of the smaller princely states (2400 km2) with "only" 13 gun salutes.

After a conflict with the neighboring principality, this Maharaja was forced to abdicate. His son, then 9 years old, succeeded him in 1940 after a regency. For this son the Cygnet (Baby Swan) was built, which now forms a pair with the Swan Car. The cars were rarely used, and in the 1980s part of the Maharaja of Nabhas fleet was sold, including the famous Swan Car. Both cars were acquired by the Louwman Museum and subjected to a very extensive restoration.

For many people, the Swan Car is the most recognizable car in the museum.

Peter Helbach