The Karachi Rooftop Rolls Find

Dace, I would call is very complete as even most of the gauges etc are also there.. won't be surprised if he has the grill and radiator stored.

The Duesenberg J with Gurney Nutting coachwork and the Merc 540 belonged to Maharaja Holkar of Indore and not Gwalior. Regds

Hi Shahzeb.
The owner sound like he is just as interesting as the car and a man after my own heart.
I too have an old Roller in just about the same condition.b it it does have its original grill etc.
Just how complete is the one in the pics?

Hi Dave,

It is still up there and the owner doesn't want to bring her down or discuss the restoration plan. I guess the reason he lifted the car to the top was to keep it away from our eyes and any inquires.

Having owned three 20hp R-R cars with original bodies by Barker, Hooper and Windowers, I give some comments:

- As already stated this is a low steering rake, front wheel brake car from 1925 or later.
- The form of the wings indicates Barker, and the external bolts for the wing stays are all in the typical Barker positions.
- The instrument board with center arranged instruments is identical in detail to other instrument boards made by Barker in the later part of the 1920-ties. The shape of the center recess, the position of the instruments etc., the shape of the glowe box opening, the shape of the bottom edge from left to right, even the milling edge profiles are all the same. Instrument boards with recessed centre instruments and open glove boxes were not fitted on tourers as they were vulnerable for rain. Instead on them the instruments were positioned in a row.
- There is a front/rear division angeling backwards as fitted to many bodies, open or closed made by Barker and others.
- The car has full size doors, indicating that the body was not made as a tourer.
- On different places new sheet metal has been added to the original. The vertical one at the rear left is obviously to cover a recess in the body made when extending the petrol filler tube just below. Has the body been altered sometime in the past?
- The horisontal rear body top line is strange as these were almost always curved. But every body was different. This does not indicate a landaulette body, as the folding rear was made of canvas or leather and not solid.
- As a car for export to India, Barker as bodybuilder would have been the natural choice.

Guess: A late 20-ties Allweather by Barker?

A very interesting vehicle.
But I'm intrigued to know when, how & why the car is on the roof of of an apartment building in the first place and how it was taken down , assuming it's not still up there.

A nice discovery for us, but a few were in the know all along.
Check chassis no GWL2 or so, it should be a Udaipur car.
I can't believe that the Sheikh took out more than 70 vintage cars in the 1970's. Having said that, for years all we knew that he took out illegally the Gwalior Duesenberg, and Orcha Cadillac. Later we learnt that he took out the Gwalior 540K as well. All illegally. To the best of available knowledge.

Looks like a late 20s , 20HP, approx 1926-27,
has 4 wheel brakes with the extra shackle at the front, triangular spare wheel mount at rear, & no Hobson Telegauge on dashboard, also wide hubs on wheels.vertical louvered bonnett, for Hot countries. Looks like it may have been an All Weather Tourer, Intresting curves at bottom of rear Panel ?.

Hopefully Mohsin still has the radiator and the lights stashed somewhere. It looks later than 1925, probably 1927/28 judging by the oval configuration of the gauges on the dash. The valuable "AT" speedo is still in place. The missing "Smiths" clock is an easy replacement. The body looks like the remains of a landaulet, with a flat section at the back allowing the rear section of the retractable roof to fold flat. Interesting to see "well based" rims on the front with earlier "split rims" on the rear. Hard to tell what size, but if they're 21" (instead of earlier 23" type), this would suggest a later a chassis. The bonnet is a "Colonial" louvered type, which certainly lends itself toward being an Indian car originally. Despite its dilapidated condition, all the components appear to be correct and present, which would make it a worth while project today. I've met people who have restored worse cars to begin with...