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While royal Rolls-Royces from Patiala and Hyderabad often steal the spotlight, a rare Silver Ghost owned by the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj tells a fascinating story of luxury.
News18
When people think of India’s royal Rolls-Royces, they usually think of Patiala, Hyderabad or Gwalior. But hidden in the pages of motoring history is another royal gem. A rare 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost owned by the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj.
And it was no ordinary car.
Back in the early 1900s, India’s maharajas were among Rolls-Royce’s most valuable customers. Their love for luxury and custom-built automobiles helped turn the British marque into a global symbol of prestige.
Among them was Maharaja Purna Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj, a princely state in present-day Odisha.
His choice? The legendary Silver Ghost.
Known officially as the Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP, the Silver Ghost earned a reputation for near-unmatched reliability and refinement. It was so dependable that it helped Rolls-Royce earn its famous title: ‘The Best Car in the World’.
But the Maharaja wanted something even more exclusive.
Like many Indian rulers, he didn’t simply buy a finished car. Rolls-Royce supplied the chassis, while specialist coachbuilders created a bespoke body tailored to royal tastes.
The Mayurbhanj car, known by chassis number 118MG, later received elegant custom coachwork from the renowned British firm Windovers.
The result was a one-of-a-kind automobile fit for royalty.
Not only a luxury car, the Silver Ghost was also a testament to the ambitions of the Mayurbhanj State itself, as it was a known state for embracing learning, technology and modernity. It was an indication that Mayurbhanj State was also reaching out towards the future.
Today, the car is mostly remembered only in photographs, documentation and in the memories of automotive historians.
But nevertheless, it still serves as an interesting relic from a time when Indian royalty was considered among the world’s biggest luxury buyers.
In truth, not only a luxury car, the Silver Ghost of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj served as a mobile representation of status, craftsmanship and royalty.
And after almost a hundred years, it still stands out as one of the more intriguingly forgotten episodes in Indian royal motoring history.
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