Classic European cars were compact, refined and were hand built compared to the American cars which were large, beefy and flashy.
of a 1935 Mercedes Benz 290
Perhaps, a quick recap will help you remember the marvelous collection of classic cars we had seen in the preceding posts.
You can visit them with these links below:
The Gondal Royal Family Classic car series
| Part 1 – Gondal Royals, Gujarat: Exploring Vintage Cars at the Orchard Palace (1930’s to 1970’s) | https://rb.gy/nv0kf9 |
| Part 2 – Gondal Classic Car Collection: American Cars of the 1940’s | https://wp.me/pbXnOA-37y |
| Part 3 – Classic Car Collection: Explore the 1960’s Era with the Royal Family | https://wp.me/pbXnOA-38R |
| Part 5 Gondal Royal Family Train Carriage: Unveiling Luxury from Gujarat’s Past | https://wp.me/pbXnOA-3aq |
| Part 6 Japanese Garden and Royal Splendor at Orchard Palace, Gondal, Gujarat | https://wp.me/pbXnOA-3bw |
This post presents you their handsome European car collection.
Let us dive straight in 👋
Gondal European collection
these trees at Orchard Palace, Gondal, Gujarat
Compared to the American designs, the European car design from the 1930’s to 1980’s changed from rounded, art deco-influenced elements with separate fenders, to more advanced and functional shapes with integrated body panels.
Over the decades, luxury meant craftsmanship and elegance, while smaller cars brought practicality and efficiency.
Here’s to the Gondal Royal family’s European collection 🏰🚗
New Engine
a vehicle manufactured way back in 1907. I enquired about the history
and came to know that this car has a meter gauge width and if fitted with train
wheels, the car can be or may be used for track inspection.
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
a wide variety of designs – unitary construction, abandoned the traditional
body-on-frame design, thereby improving the car’s structural rigidity and
giving excellent ride quality. Advanced hydro pneumatic suspension
system licensed from Citroën, made the drives smooth and immensely comfortable
Mercedes Benz 290 7-seater
offered luxury and versatility. A spacious interior comfortably accommodates
seven passengers. A powerful 2.9-liter inline-six engine, drove on the
road with independent front suspension, lifting the luxury quotient
Daimler Double Six
giving unparalleled smoothness and power to this luxury car.
Acute level of craftsmanship set it apart as a stamp of affluence
and advancement in the automotive era of the 1930’s
Delage D8 S
Jaguar XK150 S
performance in terms of having a powerful engine, better handling, and
equipped with 4-disc brakes. A more powerful 3.4-liter inline-six
engine produced 250 horsepower, over the standard XK150.
Of course, it also had beautiful flowing lines, as can be seen
Mercedes Benz 280SE
initially by Zeenat Aman, the flamboyant Hindi Cinema actress before
it made her debut at Gondal collection. The car had a combination of luxury
and advanced engineering, powered with an inline-six engine that gave
a smooth drive. Amazingly, the Mercedes has crumple zones,
anti-lock brakes, for passenger and driver safety
Mercedes Benz 560 SEL
quite unique. Powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine, this car was fast in its class.
Creature comforts like, leather upholstery, advanced climate control,
and state-of-the-art safety systems, made this S Class a great car
Fiat 1100 Milicento
the 1959 Fiat 1100 Mili cento offered the unique blend of stylish design,
unibody construction and a modern look. Owners also loved her,
for good handling, performance, and affordability; was a very popular choice
With these European cars, we drew curtains to a wonderful time of brushing shoulders with engineering marvels, of bygone eras.
Hope you enjoyed as much I loved narrating them to you 👌🥳
Inference
- 1907 New Engine
- 1970 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
- 1935 Mercedes Benz 290 7-seater
- 1930 Daimler Double Six
- 1930 Delage D8S
- 1959 Jaguar XK150S
- 1974 Mercedes Benz 280 SE
- 1987 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL
- 1959 Fiat 1100 Milicento
| Distance from Junagadh to the Orchard Palace | 66 kms |
| Best time to visit | December through early March, avoid summers |
| Timings | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed from 12 pm to 3 pm for lunch) Time Required: 2-3 hours Closed on Mondays |
| Parking | The Orchard Palace has its own parking |
| Pocket pinch | Entry Fee: Indians – Vintage Car Museum Rs.120 Camera – Rs.80 Mobile camera – Rs.80 Video Shooting charge:Rs.200 |
| Places to visit around | Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Naulakha Palace Shri Ramanath Dham |
SPITFIRE GAUTAM 