Last Padmini received royal restoration at 85-year-old petrol pump

The last registered Premier Padmini taxi at Karfule in Ballard Estate earlier this month; (Right) the car’s vintage mechanical fare meter before and after restoration

Prior to its phasing out on Sunday, Mumbai's last registered Premier Padmini taxi, which is owned by Prabhadevi resident Abdul Kareem Karsekar, was washed thoroughly and serviced for free at Ballard Estate's 85-year-old Art Deco petrol station Karfule.

The iconic petrol pump's third-generation owner Daniel Sequeira took the initiative purely out of his love of vintage cabs.

Mumbai`s iconic Premier Padmini taxis retire from city streets

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"A couple of months ago, I spotted a Premier Padmini taxi MH-01-JA-2331 near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and took a photo. The number printed on the carrier helped me connect with its owner, Raees Ahmed. I met him and Abdul at Ballard Estate and told them that I would like to service both their cabs for free as a part of our 85-year celebration since they were iconic," said Sequeira. Ahmed was unable to make it, but Abdul went to the petrol pump with his vehicle on October 19.

"I was so happy to see his cab being spruced up, saying that it hadn't been washed like this in two years. We degreased the engine bay, washed and greased the underchassis, cleaned the interiors and washed the exterior with snow foam. Abdul appreciated the fact that I was restoring an old mechanical fare meter that became obsolete a few years ago," Sequeira said.

Set up in October 1938 by Gabriel Sequeira, a Goan who migrated to the city in the 1920s, Karfule was designed by legendary architect GB Mhatre's Architectural Studio.

It has lived through independence and World War II and is a gem in this vibrant city.

1938
Year Karfule was set up