Nur Muhammad Chinoy

Nur Muhammad Chinoy

Family tree

Parents

Maherally Mohamed Chinoy 1829–1907

Sonumabai Jairazbhoy

Siblings

Fazal Chinoy

Rahimtoola M. Chinoy

Sultan Chinoy

Partners

Shirin Ahmed Mulji

Children

Akbar N. Chinoy

Aziz N. Chinoy

Habib N. Chinoy

Yussuf Noormahomad Chinoy

Born in

Sonumabai Jairazbhoy(Born in).

Maherally Mohamed Chinoy(Born in 1829 Bhuj).

Maherally Building, Bombay

Illustrious Bros—Sultan, Rahimtoola, Nurmohamed (standing) and Fazulbhoy—made the automobile enterprise famous

This picture was taken at wedding reception of Yusuf Chinoy and Zarina Rahimtoola sometime early second half of the 1930s in Bombay. Prince Aly Khan was in the attendance. Picture Details Back Row [Left to Right] Akbar Chinoy, unidentified, Habib Chinoy, Habib Rahimtoola, Mohammed Hussain Chinoy, Sir Rahimtoola Chinoy, Fazal Rahimtoola, Aziz Chinoy Front Row [Left to Right] Mahomed Ali Jinnah, Lady Doreen Brabourne, Governor Lord Brabourne, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola, Nur Muhammad Chinoy, Yusuf Chinoy, Prince Aly Khan, unidentified, Zain Ali Reza

Prominent Khoja community representation at the Legislative Council over the decades included the Currimbhoy Family (Sir Ebrahim, Sir Fazalbhoy, Gulamhussain, Rahimtoola, Mohammedbhoy), Rahimtoola Family (Sir Ibrahim, Jaffer, Hoosenally, Sir Fazal), Chinoy Family (Fazalbhoy, Sir Rahimtoola, Sir Sultan, NoorMuhammad), Laljee Family (Hoosenbhoy, Jaffer), Rahimtulla Sayani, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and more.

Arriving from Bhuj at the end of the 1800s, Meherally Chinoy acquired the agency for Shell by 1904. On obtaining the Chevrolet contract in 1916, his sons successfully added several General Motors models to their kitty besides a bunch of petrol pumps.

“During his Mayorship, Meherally’s son, Rahimtoola Chinoy gave Lord Irwin his first welcome speech in 1926,” says Sir Rahimtoola’s grandson Zahir.

That was the same year Meher Building—chosen as the joint family home by another of Meherally’s sons, Sir Sultan Chinoy—readied to introduce the automobile giant Bombay Garage. Sprawled across 45,000 square feet, the showroom debuted sleek Pontiacs, Lanchesters, Vauxhalls and Armstrong Siddeleys.

An interesting 1939 sepia image from the collection of the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady, USA, showing Zahir’s stiff-suited, bespectacled grandfather, is captioned: “Sir Rahimtoola Chinoy of Bombay, India, intercepting ray of sun for relaying signal for opening of San Francisco’s World Fair”.

"How green were my gullies" by Meher Marfatia, Mumbai

https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/how-green-were-my-gullies-23161626