New Delhi: In 1951, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gifted a classic Rolls Royce car to the Queen of Baroda, Maharani Chimnabai II. It was a special car. This car was bought by the then Prime Minister of India Nehru by special order and then gifted to the queen.
Nehru was considered to be an opponent of the monarchy system; then why did he gift such an expensive car to the princely state?
Actually, the Indian Maharajas were obsessed with Rolls-Royce brand cars. By the 1920s, Indian Maharajas across the country bought hundreds of Rolls Royce and included them in their convoys. Later, when some Maharajas realized that every king had such a car, they started customizing their car through special orders. Many Maharajas used to buy such cars at wholesale prices. For example, Maharaja Mysore bought 6 Rolls Royce cars for the first time, 14 in the second time and then even more.
Nehru knew that the Indian kings loved Rolls Royce. This was the time when all the princely states across the country had been merged with the Indian Union. However, the influence of the kings remained. He was also very popular in his princely states. Nehru wanted to have better relations with the Indian princely states after independence.
In 1951, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave this special gift to Maharani Chimna Bai Sahib Gaekwad of Baroda. Nehru wanted to have a better relationship between the Indian government and the royal families. The car, which was custom-made by HJ Mulliner & Co, is currently valued at over Rs 2.5 crore.
Such gifts were then common among Indian royals, showing off their wealth and influence. Nehru’s gift can be seen as part of a broader strategy to boost relations with India’s princely states after independence. By giving gifts to some prominent royals, Nehru showed that the Indian government wanted to strengthen ties with the erstwhile royal families.
In fact, the Rolls-Royce car was considered to be the car of kings and emperors in India. It was known for luxury and craftsmanship. It was a symbol of pride. That’s why Nehru chose such an iconic car as a gift.
Nehru had gifted similar cars to many other princely states. He also presented a luxury Rolls Royce car to Maharaja Mysore on behalf of the government. After India’s independence in 1947, it was a challenge to integrate the country out of over 562 princely states. Many of these princely states were unhappy with losing their autonomy. Nehru tried to keep them satisfied with the Indian Republic by giving special respect to these royals.
Even today, Rolls-Royce is counted among the most luxurious cars in the world.