GUARDIAN Archives A Car for the Panchen Lama

Himalayan Guardian Jan 12, 2011

1907 two motorcars were carried over the Himalayas into Tibet. One was an 8 hp Clement brought as a gift for the Panchen Lama. The other car was a Peugeot, which belonged to Captain O’Connor, who was posted to Gyantse as the British trade agent under the Anglo-Tibet convention. The car has been more exactly identified as a Laurin-Klement made at Mlada Boleslav in Bohemia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire).

Raja Ugyen Dorji (1855-1916), Bhutan trade agent in Kalimpong, is shown in the photo at the wheels of the Clement. The photo was probably taken during one his visits to Tibet. He is probably the first Bhutanese to drive a car.

The photos are approximately 80 x 140 mm and most likely belonged to English army mechanics. This is one photo of a set of set that sold for 5760 pounds in London in 2009. (Bhutan News)