Over a century ago, in the colonial heart of Kolkata, an exquisite motorcar arrived — a 1914 Wolseley 24/30hp, shipped as a bare chassis to be dressed in opulence by Dykes & Company. The intended recipient? Lawrence Dundas, the Earl of Ronaldshay, and governor of Bengal under British rule. What emerged from Dykes’ atelier was no ordinary vehicle, but a regal Open Drive Limousine Landaulette, tailored to command awe.
More than a car, it was a statement of imperial grandeur. And like its first owner, it would one day return to the spotlight — only this time, as a crowned champion of the vintage motoring world.
Lost, found, and restored
Vintage car collector Shashi Kumar Kanoria discovered the car in an ashram in Dibrugarh in the 1980s
For decades, the Wolseley disappeared into obscurity, its gubernatorial origins forgotten. In the 1980s, vintage car collector Shashi Kumar Kanoria discovered it in an ashram in Dibrugarh, Assam, donated years earlier by “someone wealthy and important”. Restored in Kolkata and finished in emerald green and black, the car quickly earned a new nickname on the rally circuit: The Palace on Wheels.
In 1989, it won the prestigious Statesman Trophy at the Statesman Vintage Car Rally in Kolkata. But its most spectacular triumphs were still to come.
Cartier’s jewel, Kanoria’s tribute
The Wolseley claimed the coveted Best of Show award at the Cartier Concours
After Shashi Kanoria’s passing, the custodianship passed to his son, Shrivardhan Kanoria, who breathed new life into the Wolseley in 2016. Preparing for the Cartier Travel with Style Concours d’Elegance in 2017, he undertook a full mechanical and cosmetic restoration — including reintroducing the original 25” wheels, previously swapped due to tire scarcity.
The result was nothing short of extraordinary.
“This car was mechanically and cosmetically a jewel,” Shrivardhan says. “I brought it back to its former glory. It was more than a restoration — it was a tribute to my father.”
At the Cartier Concours, the Wolseley didn’t just win in its class — it claimed the coveted Best of Show, the event’s highest honour.
A brush with fame, a stroke of fortune
The car is one of only 13 surviving models out of 1,685 produced
During the Covid lockdown, Shrivardhan stumbled upon a sketch he had drawn of the Wolseley as a teenager in 1996. On a whim, he posted it on Facebook, tagging the Wolseley Register. The ripple effect was unexpected: the Register not only published his sketch in their magazine, but helped him trace the car’s entire provenance using chassis and engine numbers.
Their search led to a remarkable revelation. The car was not just rare — one of only 13 surviving models out of 1,685 produced — but also unique: the only coach-built example by Dykes & Company for a colonial governor.
“I was deeply grateful,” Shrivardhan recalls. “The moment I received the heritage certificate from the British Motor Museum, it all came full circle.”
The victory lap
The Wolseley also starred at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance in 2023
Most recently, the Wolseley starred again at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance in 2023, where it once again clinched Best in Class, reaffirming its stature as one of India’s finest historic motorcars.
Having conquered both the Cartier Concours and 21 Gun Salute, the Wolseley has achieved what few others can claim: dominance in the nation’s most prestigious vintage automotive showcases.
The car also has the unique distinction of being featured on a video documented by Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, who recognised the car for its stylish and elegant restoration at the Cartier Concours in Hyderabad back in 2017.
Still rolling royally
The interiors of the ‘Palace on Wheels’
Today, this centenarian marvel is no garage queen. Shrivardhan continues to drive it regularly — whether at vintage events or simply for winter joyrides through the streets of Kolkata.
“This car is history in motion,” he smiles. “And it’s an ode to my father, who instilled in me the love for these magnificent machines.”
From transporting a British governor to dazzling modern-day juries, the 1914 Wolseley has journeyed across time, legacy intact. Once a symbol of colonial grandeur, it now embodies Indian custodianship and craftsmanship — rolling proof that true elegance, like heritage, never goes out of style.