Archive · 10 Jan 2026
1912 Stower Car Stands Five Generations
There's a very old car called the 1912 Stower that will be in a special car show called The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally.
This car is special because it's the oldest one in the show and it runs on kerosene, not petrol.
The first owner was a man named Ishwar Chunder Chowdhury, who wanted a Ford Model T but decided on the Stower because it was better for the roads in his area.
The car has been in his family for five generations and is still used today.
It has some unique features like spotlights instead of regular headlights and a duck figurine on the radiator that helps the driver know when the car is too hot.
The car company that made it, Stower, is no longer around, making this car one of a kind.
The 1912 Stower is the oldest car in The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally, running on kerosene.
Originally owned by Ishwar Chunder Chowdhury, who chose it over a Ford Model T for better suitability to Bengali terrain.
The Stower company, which built the car, was destroyed during World War II and never revived, making this car unique.
The car has been passed down through five generations of the Chowdhury family and is still in use today.
It features two gears, spotlights as head-beams, and a duck figurine on the radiator that melts wax to indicate overheating.
- Who
- Ishwar Chunder Chowdhury and his descendants, including Adarshini Chowdhury
- What
- A 1912 Stower car, the oldest in The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally
- When
- 11 January (rally date), originally purchased in 1912
- Where
- Kolkata and Midnapore, India
- Why
- The car has been preserved and used by the Chowdhury family for five generations, and is a unique piece of automotive history
- Car Model
- 1912 Stower
- Fuel Type
- Kerosene
- Original Owner
- Ishwar Chunder Chowdhury
- Current Owner
- Adarshini Chowdhury
- Number of Gears
- 2
- Headlights
- Spotlights
- Radiator Ornament
- Duck figurine with wax
- Rally Participation
- The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally
- Rally Date
- 11 January