If there was a particular community of people who thrived during the oppressive British Rule, it has to be that of the Maharajas. The lavishness of Indian maharajas' lives was so magnanimous, that it could easily belittle the Queen's lifestyle. The Maharajas were not only filthy rich but also had access to things that were only exclusively available to the English. One of such things was a car. Yes, a motor driven four wheeler was once a luxury only a handful could afford. And Maharaja Sir Rajinder Singh was the first man on the Indian soil to ever own a car.   This is his extraordinary story.

© Wikipedia

Maharaja Rajinder Singh was the head of the princely state of Patiala from 1876 to 1900. Not many know but he became the very first Indian to own a motor operated four wheeled car in 1892. The car was a French De Dion Bouton. French De Dion Bouton was a French automobile manufacturing company founded in 1883 and went defunct in 1932.

Not much is known about what particular car model he owned but the image below is of the car which was believed to be owned by him.

© Quora

Rajinder Singh was also awarded The Grand Cross Of The Star Of India for his bravery. It is also rumored that he even owned a private airplane. While he already had 365 wives he went against his own people and the British Government by marrying the daughter of his Irish horsemaster and later persuading her to convert to Sikhism. What a lot of people aren't aware about is the fact that Maharaja Bhupinder Singh who was known for his insanely lavish living standards was Maharaja Rajinder's Son. Talk about “like father like son”!

Note: The main image used as the header is a representational image and is not the original car owned by Maharaja Rajinder Singh.