It was a rare sight to spot cars in the first half of the 20th century in India, and even rarer to find women driving cars in the pre-Independence era. The first woman to drive a car in India was Sooni Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata in 1905, the French wife of businessman Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata
The members of royal families of the princely states had shauk (passion) that would be beyond the means of commoners, and among these passions was owning and driving cars. Maharaja Rajinder Singh of Patiala was the first Indian royal to own a car in India. It was a French-made De Dion Bouton, a steam car that was imported in 1892.
Cars also caught the fancy of the Maharanis of princely states. In 1910, a photograph of the Maharani of Bhavnagar, Nandkuvarba, was published in the newspaper. Preparations were ongoing for India’s Delhi Durbar, and instead of retaining the chauffeur, the Maharani decided to take the car for a spin, carrying her husband, the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, Bhavsinh II, and the Governor of Bombay. The photograph is perhaps the first picture of a female driver in India.
Maharani Gayatri Devi (1919-2009) of Jaipur’s love for cars is well-known. The first Mercedes-Benz W126, a 500 SEL, was imported by Gayatri Devi. She also owned several Rolls-Royces. Such was her love for cars that her husband, the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II, was known to indulge in her passion. According to reports, Gayatri Devi had spotted a sports car while holidaying in Europe with her husband and was deeply intrigued. The next morning, the Maharani was greeted by officials from Jaguar, who were there to deliver an XK 120, a gift from her husband.