Top Vintage Cars in India

India is a land of culture, traditions, and deep values. We love celebrating history with fascinating backstories; there is a reason why age-old palaces are carefully preserved by the government, and are some of the most popular tourist sites in our country. Similarly, those with a penchant for cars like to preserve some special cars as antique collections. These are called ‘Vintage Cars.’ Read on to learn what vintage cars are and some of the most popular ones of them.

What are Vintage Cars?

As the word ‘vintage’ suggests, vintage cars are iconic cars that once drove down Indian roads and enriched Indian automotive history. For ages, automobile enthusiasts have been maintaining their vintage cars as prized possessions. Such care for their classic vintage cars goes beyond adoration. It pays tribute to the magnificent automotive engineering that alleviated lifestyles in a bygone era and continues to inspire the modern auto industry. It is indeed a treat to catch a glimpse of an antique vintage car, whether it is rolling down any public road or gracing a spot in an exhibition. For car enthusiasts like us, seeing a vintage car evokes deep emotions and respect, putting smiles on our faces.   

Popular Vintage Cars in India

Hindustan Ambassador

Once upon a time, the legendary Hindustan Ambassador ruled Indian roads. Launched in 1957, this Indian classic vintage car was one of the first cars to be manufactured completely in independent India and to be owned as private cars. From playing an instrumental role in India’s development to becoming a symbol of power for politicians and bureaucrats, the Hindustan Ambassador wrote an epic success story in the history books and was once fondly called “King of Indian roads”. While it was one of the first cars for Indians and had a bit of a beginner’s luck, it was indeed a peach of a family car. Heavily built and rich in space and comfort, the Ambassador featured sofa-type seats for rear passengers. In its run, which began in 1957 and ended in 2014, the Ambassador was made available with a variety of powertrains including diesel-, petrol-, CNG-, and LPG-powered engines. Though its production ended in 2014, in 2022, Hindustan Motors confirmed that they are working with the French Automaker Peugeot to bring back this famous classic car with modern makings.

Also read: A Tribute to the Iconic Ambassador

Hindustan Contessa

Another vintage car from Hindustan Motors, the Hindustan Contessa was one of the few Indian-manufactured luxury cars and was nicknamed “The Indian Benz”. The Indian carmaker launched the Contessa in 1984 based on the Vauxhall Victor FE/VX, which was already discontinued in 1978 in Europe. For its long bonnet and rear end, and muscular body, it was also popular as an appealing muscle car. As a matter of fact, many Indian enthusiasts have modified it to look like the legendary Ford Mustang. Thanks to its looks, good volumes of space, and luxurious comfort, the Hindustan Contessa was an overwhelming favourite of Government officials. When launched, the Contessa featured a 1.5-litre B-Series engine petrol engine. However, in the late 80s, Hindustan Motors partnered with Isuzu and started manufacturing a 1.8L petrol engine. The Contessa with a new set of engines was called ‘Contessa Classic’ and Contessa 1.8 GLX.  

When its production ended in 2002, the Contessa was offered with a 1.8-litre petrol engine, a 2-litre diesel engine, and a 2-litre turbo diesel engine. Today, the Hindustan Contessa is one of the most in-demand vintage cars, especially because its muscular design is still hard to match with any modern car.

Premier Padmini

The partnership of popular Italian automaker, Fiat Automobiles, and Premier Automobiles Limited gave India a legendary car soon after its independence. Launched in 1964, Premier Padmini, ruled the roost for decades, especially in the 1970s and early 80s, when it found a huge fame among celebrities, women, and even the younger generation. This classic vintage car was named after a 14th-century Rajput princess, Padmini, and this name means Goddess Laxmi, who is Goddess of wealth. The name was actually symbolic of its quality at the time, for example, in the early 80s, the Padmini offered an air-conditioner, leather upholstery, courtesy lights, and tinted glass, which were considered luxuries in Indian cars at the time. However, in the mid-80s, the launch of the Maruti 800 and the liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, which opened gates for foreign car manufacturers, waned Padmini’s popularity, and after making many efforts, the Indian carmaker discontinued it in 2001.

Mahindra Thar

It might surprise you to see Mahindra Thar on the list of classic vintage cars, but here we are referring to the first Mahindra Thar, which was launched in 2010. However, the roots of the Thar go even further back as its lineage began from the Willy CJ-3B Jeep, which was launched in 1953. Named after the Thar desert, the 2010 Mahindra Thar was the immediate successor to the Mahindra Major Jeep and like its predecessor, the Thar earned huge fame for its ruggedness and abuse-friendly character. What also made it a great success was the nostalgia its Jeep-styled design evoked among the off-roading enthusiasts. With such an ageless design and unmatched off-roading calibre, the first-gen Mahindra Thar is an illustrious vintage car that enthusiasts passionately upkeep.

Maruti 800

When it comes to classic vintage cars, our beloved Maruti 800, the first-ever Maruti car, is an icon of icons. As India’s first ‘people’s car,’ the Maruti 800 radically changed car culture in India with its low-cost character. It was affordable, delivered pocket-friendly mileage, and asked for low maintenance. In every way, it became the best car for the masses and its high sales figures became an unbearable challenge for the Hindustan Ambassador and the Premier Padmini. In over 31 years of production, 2.87 million units of the Maruti 800 were manufactured, among which, 2.66 million were sold in India. The revolution that the grand success of the Maruti 800 led, boosted India’s economy enormously and successfully made India an automobile manufacturing hub for the world.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster is a famous vintage car from the German luxury carmaker. It was launched in 1953 and with an ability to reach up to 260 km/hr, the 300 SL was the fastest production car of its time. Another thing that made it so popular was its stylish gullwing doors. However, they were not there for the style and in a bid to keep its weight in check, Mercedes could not use regular doors for the 300 SL. As a matter of fact, the ‘SL’ in the 300 SL stands for super-leicht, or super-light. Winning many racing accolades, the 300 SL became a favourite of affluent sports car enthusiasts. It was also one of the favourites of Juan Manuel Fangio, an Argentine Formula One driver who won the world championship title for Mercedes-Benz in 1954 and 1955.

Quite a few models of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL were produced and in India, a few affluent individuals from royal families and with passion for cars owned them. One of them was the late Maharaja Jyotendrasinhji Vikramsinhji who acquired the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and that has remained in the family since. 

Summary

Vintage cars have special places in the hearts of car fans and as Indians, it is in our blood to remain deeply connected to things that have played important roles in history. Hats off to avid collectors and auto enthusiasts, who upkeep vintage cars as even on occasions only, it is heartwarming to get a glimpse of one. As we say this, we go down memory lane and relearn about some of the most popular vintage cars in India – Hindustan Ambassador, Premier Padmini, Hindustan Contessa, Mahindra Thar, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, and our beloved, Maruti 800.

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