Indisk Rover P3

Somewhere in the dusty corner of Bihar, Sukhdev Chandra Mukherjee owned a colliery. And in 1948 he bought a Rover 75 Sedan in the name of that colliery with a BBR number plate. The car has been with the family ever since and occupies a pride of place. So much so that three generations of the Mukherjees have gone to marry in the car. Not that it is the only car they own.
"In my life I have seen the family buy and sell at least 50 cars", says Sarojesh Chandra Mukherjee, grandson of Sukhdev Chandra, which include anything from Fords andPlymoths to Pontiacs. But the Rover has remained.
Bought for Rs 14.870, which in those days was a princely sum, it was one of the most expensive cars on the road since an ordinary car would cost one-third the money. Lord Mountbatten used the same make and called it a "poor man's Rolce Royce".
Though made a year after India's Independence, which lends it an aura of being not very ancient, it is a world apart from moderndays cars. Domed headlights, separate mudguards, two systems of braking and a body of wood with metal coating, the car belongs to an era when cars were not aerodynamic. They were built for luxury - and for a lifetime.
"This car never needed repairs", says Mukherjee proudly. Except for the occasional painting and nickelling, done once in a decade, the Rover has roamed the road without a mechanical hitch. Having done over 80.000 km, it has come a long way - both in distance and time.

The car was bought from Dewar's garage and was looked after by the same organization. Not that the car needs much looking after. Every thing from the keys to the rims has remained the same. There are two sets of rims for two sizes of tyres. One for city travelling and the other for long-distance jaunts. The tyres are still roadworthy. So are the rims.
The Rover will be finding a place among the Classic cars lining up for The Stateman rally.
"This is the family's favourite car. It wouldn't be difficult tp buy a Vintage car and enter the rally. But that is not the way we would like it to be. The car is part of the family. So if we participate in a rally, it is with the Rover", concludes Mukherjee. His family is not in love with cars - it is passionate about them.

This is from an article by Arup Ghosh for the Indian newspaper The Statesman published in 1993.