History in the Making

Images: Mariami Khubulava

For India's historic vehicle community, 7 July 2026 will be remembered as a truly special day. For the very first time, two historic automobiles with Indian provenance have gone on display at the prestigious Musée National de l'Automobile - Collection Schlumpf in Mulhouse, France.

Automotive enthusiasts will know that the Musée National de l'Automobile is France's national automotive museum and is widely regarded as one of the greatest car museums in the world. With more than 400 remarkable vehicles on display and over 300 more carefully preserved in its reserves, it represents the very pinnacle of automotive heritage.

To have not one but two Indian-connected automobiles welcomed into such an illustrious collection (albeit for just two months) is a tremendous honour. Both cars are exceptional examples of India's rich motoring history, and we are confident they will proudly represent that legacy during their two-month exhibition.

The two vehicles come from the renowned Pranlal Bhogilal Collection and will be familiar to readers of this magazine: the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K (1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K: The Reawakening!) and the 1927 Hispano-Suiza H6C (1927 Hispano-Suiza H6C: The Rebirth of a Legend), formerly owned by the Maharaja of Alwar.

The invitation to exhibit these remarkable automobiles came from Guillaume Gasser, Director of the museum. Before taking their place in the galleries, both cars participated in the Concours d'Élégance International Schlumpf on 27-28 June, where the Hispano-Suiza earned the event's highest honour, winning Best of Show (1927 Hispano-Suiza H6C – Best of Show!).

Both cars boast fascinating royal histories. The Mercedes-Benz 540K, chassis number 130908, was originally purchased by Yashwantrao Martandrao Mukne, who became Maharaja of Jawhar in 1938. At the time the car was acquired, the 20-year-old heir was still under the regency of his mother, Rajmata Saguna Bai Mukne, who governed the princely state north of Bombay. The Mercedes remained with the Jawhar royal family for several decades before being acquired by Pranlal Bhogilal in 1976.

Under the dedicated stewardship of Bhogilal's daughter Chamundeshwari and her husband Brijesh Chinai, the Mercedes underwent a meticulous restoration in 2024. It travelled to France in late 2025 and was proudly displayed on the FIVA stand at Salon Rétromobile in January 2026.

The Hispano-Suiza is equally extraordinary. One of only two H6C models ever built on the extended-wheelbase chassis, it was ordered new by Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar. Remarkably, both surviving examples still exist today: one remains in Alwar, while this example has been part of the Dastan Autoworld Museum collection near Ahmedabad since 1982. Built in 1927 (chassis no. 11760, engine no. 320096), it was rescued by Pranlal Bhogilal when an attempt was being made to smuggle it out of India.

In 2025, the Hispano-Suiza underwent an extraordinary 101-day restoration before being shipped to France later that year. It made its international debut at Salon Rétromobile 2026 on the Hispano-Suiza Club stand, where it attracted widespread admiration.

Now, both of these magnificent automobiles have found a temporary home at the Musée National de l'Automobile - Collection Schlumpf, where they will remain on display for the next two months.

Their exhibition also marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration between France's national automotive museum and Dastan Autoworld, a partnership that promises to further celebrate and preserve automotive heritage across borders.

As one enthusiast perfectly summed up the occasion: "History in the making. Two cars of Indian provenance at the legendary Schlumpf Collection!"