Vadodara: 60 years on, Gaekwads reunite with 'maharani'; homecoming for costliest Bentley

VADODARA: She had always been the head-turner - the 1948 Bentley Mark VI Drop Head Coupe - whenever she cruised on the streets, be it the '40s or this day, over six decades later.
It was a homecoming for the costliest and customized vintage beauty on Thursday when the Bentley rolled in elegantly at the opulent lawns of Laxmi Vilas Palace 60 years later after the royal owners lost touch with the car in the 1960s when it exited the country.
Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad bought this queen of cars, designed especially for Maharani Shantadevi Gaekwad of Baroda state, in the 1940s. One of the world's costliest four-wheelers, the car is at present stationed at Gurugram and travels across the globe to participate in vintage car rallies.
The Bentley reached Vadodara to participate in the three-day 21 Gun Salute Concurs d'Elegance 2023, a vintage car show to be hosted by the royal family, wherein more than 200 vintage models will be exhibited on the lawns of Laxmi Vilas Palace from January 6 to 8, 2023.
Meanwhile, the reunion was as emotional as it ought to be. "I was very excited to see this beautiful and bright red Bentley that was designed especially for the queen of Baroda state. It's so elegant and stylish. I felt like I was transported back into the yesteryear," said Radhikaraje Gaekwad, a member of the royal family.
'Design of Bentley car was never replicated'
Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, the royal scion, drove the casino velvet red car that was once a treasured automobile of his grandfather Maharaja Pratapsinhrao - the last ruler of the erstwhile State of Baroda.
When Pratapsinhrao placed an order for the car, it was the costliest Bentley ever made. The aluminium-body Bentley Mark VI's interior was cushioned in black tapestry with lines made from pure gold. "This four-seater Bentley was bought by the Maharaja under the 'vault design' category, which meant that the design of this car is kept in a vault and is never replicated. No other Bentleys have this design," managing trustee of 21 Gun Salute Heritage and Cultural Trust, Madan Mohan told TOI.
The trust, which owns the car now brought it back to India in 2015. It travelled to the US and Spain and stayed with different owners before the trust restored it.
"It was an emotional reunion with the vintage treasure that was once owned by my grandfather. It's good to see the Maharani car back in India. We used to have a big collection of vintage cars but after Baroda merged with the Union of India many cars exited the country. I couldn't see much of them," Samarjitsinh added.
"Who wouldn't like to own such a beautiful vintage car?" was her question when Radhikaraje was asked if she would like to own the Maharani car and get it back into the royal collection.