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Motor Vehicle Registration and Fuel License Documents from the Papers of M. A. Jinnah

Sub title : Packard Car Registration and Dangerous Goods Permit

Date of publication: 1938

Language: English

Page: 3 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28132

Keyword: Motor Vehicle Registration -- Packard -- Automobile -- Indian Motor Vehicles Act 1914 | Government of Bengal -- Fuel License -- Dangerous Goods -- Transportation -- Chassis Number -- Engine Number -- 1938 -- Vintage Car -- British India Administration

Abstract: This collection consists of two linked official documents pertaining to motor vehicle ownership and operation in late 1930s British India. The primary item is a Registration Certificate for a Motor Vehicle issued by the Government of Bengal under the Indian Motor Vehicles Act of 1914. It details a luxury Packard motorcar (Registration No. 478105), specifying its engine and chassis numbers, 8 cylinders, 33.8 horsepower, and seating for five. The accompanying document is a License to Possess Dangerous Goods (specifically, 20 gallons of fuel), outlining rules for transfer and renewal. While the owner's name field on the registration is not filled in the provided scan, the document's provenance from M. A. Jinnah's papers suggests it relates to his personal property. These artifacts offer a glimpse into the material world and administrative requirements of India's elite during the pre-independence era, illustrating the type of automobile owned by a leading political figure and the regulatory framework governing private transport.

Description: This set comprises scanned pages of two government-issued certificates related to vehicle ownership. The first is the formal registration booklet for a Packard car, a high-end American automobile, registered in Bengal in 1938. The document follows the standard format of the period, with technical specifications and spaces for renewal stamps. The second page is a license permitting the holder to store 20 gallons of "dangerous" material (presumably gasoline or motor spirit), highlighting early safety regulations. Although the owner's name is not visible in these fragments, their inclusion among M. A. Jinnah's papers strongly indicates they were part of his personal records. For researchers, these documents serve as tangible evidence of the lifestyle, mobility, and administrative interactions of India's political leadership during the British Raj. They complement the political narrative by shedding light on the practical and mundane aspects of life, from the make of car driven to the bureaucratic permissions required for its operation. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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