PALACE
SPECIAL

Menon and Aravind had a reputation for building better cars than those that came out of the factory. His recognition reached new heights when his continued relationship with the Royal Palace led to a specific requirement. The Maharaja of Travancore wanted to upgrade his palace fleet and asked his personal secretary PV Thampi to join Menon and find him a suitable car.

After a four-day journey to Goa, they find none of the grey imports were to the king’s specifications. Disappointed, they decide to return the following day.

However, Menon had an epiphany and rushed to the reception to grab a pen and sketch a design of how the car should look. When Thampi wants to know how he would build something that grand, Menon reminds him of the rarely used 1939 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine in the king’s fleet. Thampi is sceptical but promises to discuss with the king.

As the discussion goes on, the Maharaj wants to know what would happen if he dislikes the final car. Menon promises that if he is ever dissatisfied, he would pay the price of the Fleetwood (agreed at Rs.15,000), but if he did like it, he only needs to pay for the modification.

Thus, his Highness Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, commissioned perhaps the first coach-built vehicle built in India, on May 29, 1964. After ten months of reforming 18-gauge steel sheets and with 11 skilled workers using a hammer and chisel, the work was finally complete. Menon unveiled the 1965 Aravind Palace Special to much fanfare and jubilation on March 5, 1965.

The famous American magazine Automobile International said in its October 1965 issue – “we shudder to think what the construction cost would have been if American craftsmen had been used for this project.”

The last known owner of the Palace Special was a jewellery group. Unfortunately, they do not know its present whereabouts.