Hitler, to ally with the Maharaja of Patiala of India, gifted him a rare Maybach car.
It was the garage of an Indian king with some of the expensive cars from the world. There were Rolls Royces, Bentley’s, etc. Out in the corner shrouded with a cover, a black car was parked. It was not an ordinary car, but a custom made rare Maybach car. Only six cars of this Maybach model were in the world. More curious was the fact that the Maybach car was presented to the Indian Maharaja by Hitler.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh:
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was the king of the princely state of Patiala in the North of India. With fertile lands of Punjab under his province, the king had immense wealth at his disposal. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was known for this rich interest in jewels and costly materials. Maharaj’s garage had 24 Rolls Royces. The Maharaja was also famous for his tour around the world. He befriended monarchs in Europe on his trips.
Meeting with Hitler:
In 1935 Maharaja Bhupinder Singh requested an appointment with Hitler. After much reluctance, a meeting got scheduled for 15 min appointment for the Maharaja. As the conversation between Hitler and Maharaja started, it extended into a full one-hour session. Hitler invited Maharaja the Hitler gave a custom made Maybach with Zeppelin engine to the Maharaja. Hitler wanted to enhance his friendship with the Maharaja, so the princely state of Patiala might take a neutral stand in case of a war between Germany and Britain. The only time when Hitler presented a car to a monarch was for the King of Egypt and King of Nepal.
During and After War:
The car was shipped to India and got a place in the Maharaja’s garage. The vehicle was hidden from plain sight after the start of World War II as the Maharaja wanted to distance himself from Hitler. After the war, the Maybach with Maharaja was probably the only model in the world that survived. The Maharaja gave the car as a gift to one of this friend, who later sold it to an American buyer. In 2015 the car came for an auction in Amsterdam and sold to an anonymous buyer for an undisclosed amount.
The story emphasis the interwar period in the 1930s, where friendship and alliance made and broke in months. The car was a symbol of diplomacy to cause a crack in the jewel of the British crown — India.
interestinghistoryforall 