[DriverR]

Came across this nice photo-article on India's automotive innovations in the Economic Times.

Trust me, it is worth looking through. I was not able to arrange the picture with the associated writeup.

Link: India's car launches-Pictures- Day in Pics - Economic Times

--------------------------------

The Nano is an impressive engineering feat, but it should be noted that it is hardly the only car to be dreamed up by Indian auto experts.

Some of the many indigenously developed, or adapted models, made it to market, like the Standard2000 or the Sipani’s Dolphin. Others remained prototypes like the HAL car, rather surprisingly developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or many examples of electric cars or those meant for alternate fuels.

They may not have succeeded, yet their spirit of invention has perhaps found fruition in the Nano, and as a tribute we have created a gallery.


1. The Standard2000, India's first indigenous luxury car.

2. Three wheeler fibreglass car from Sunrise Auto Industries in Bangalore. Would become the Sipani Dolphin.

3. Mrs.Gandhi at the launch of the first Maruti car.

4. The launch of the Maruti800 in Mumbai. Diamond merchant Mr.Sameer Jhaveri, who got the first car in Mumbai, receives the keys from Mrs.Manju Sanghi, wife of Mr.Mahendra Sanghi, director on the board of Maruti.

5. Sanjay Gandhi in the prototype of the Maruti.

6. Electric car developed by the College of Military Engineering, Kirkee.

7. Another electric car developed by Mr.P.V.Raghavaiah of Autonagar, Vijayawada.

8. Electric car prototype developed by group of Bombay engineers in 1975.

9. Sona Car from Sona Automobile Industries Ltd.

10. Another model we're not sure of, but this full length recliner innovation would have been more popular.

11. A mystery. We don't know much about this Aravind car, but we can guess why it was never made - that grill would have scared off any potential buyers!

12. An Ambassador from 1971 adapted to run on industrial alcohol. Developed by Deedar Singh of Lonavala near Pune.

13. An 'economy car' produced by the Defence Production Organisation of the Ministry of Defence. Released in 1960 it was meant to cost only between Rs 4,000-5,000.

14. The HAL car. Developed by Hindustan Aeronatics Ltd. We don't know if it was meant to fly in a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang way!

---------------------------

[amit V8]

awesome, awesome. the pictures are great. kudos DriverR

[Technocrat]

4. The launch of the Maruti800 in Mumbai. Diamond merchant Mr.Sameer Jhaveri, who got the first car in Mumbai, receives the keys from Mrs.Manju Sanghi, wife of Mr.Mahendra Sanghi, director on the board of Marut

Well the First Maruti was delivered to Mr Harpal Singh in Gurgaon. The above seems first in Mumbai

Read Here

December 14, 1983... Smt. Indira Gandhi handed over the keys of the FIRST Maruti 800 to Shri Harpal Singh at the spanking new Maruti Udyog plant in Gurgaon. That little white car set a million hearts on fire. The Indian roads became cheerful, colourful and full of energy. The joy of motoring was finally here!

[ajmat]

The Arvind is a chromed Fiat. The recliner seat pic is the same car. Saw it in Bangalore 20 years ago with a lurid yellow paint scheme

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by DriverR

1. The Standard2000, India's first indigenous luxury car.

Hardly an Indian car!

[shibujp]

Nice trip down memory lane. Amazing to see where we were and where we are in terms of the different types of cars available and all the latest technologies.

One thing is unchanged though - the Amby : still the same all through the years.

[vineethvazhayil]

Yes, saw this nice set of pictures yesterday on Economic Times. But then they got the theme wrong . Just a collection, no connect, except history.

[karlosdeville]

Fantastic, what priceless pictures!

Originally Posted by DriverR

6. Electric car developed by the College of Military Engineering, Kirkee.

This Austin is still displayed at the college.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/979110-post9.html

[harit]

Just a few observations.

Car 13, an 'economy car' produced by the Defence Production Organisation of the Ministry of Defence. Released in 1960 it was meant to cost only between Rs 4,000-5,000 looks so much like a Lloyd. Check the thread on the Coimbatore exhibition (Karlos, )? There was a LLoyd in that. Also, if you look closely you can see the monogram on the bonnet. Just compare the pics. Can make fitting comments, but why should Defence Production Organisation of the Ministry of Defence get to import used dies to build a lousy? In Germany this was available during the initial rebuilding of the country and the dumped. This would be similar to the Trabant which East Germany dumped as soon as the wall fell. Thanks God India was spared this.

Sanjay Gandhi's Maruti. As per my info, the prototype to work was fitted with imported BMW engines. Onle a few cars were built. I saw one on the road in Bangalore and another lying in the Advani Oerlikon factory in Pune, probably it was there to develop the welding machines for production. Thank God this car flopped.

Standard 2000 as a luxury car. By the same yard-stick Contessa should also have been mentioned, at least it ran and that too quite well.
But there is one car no one mentions. Does anyone remember the "Gambler"? This was a car built by Hindustan Motors and displayed in the National Garage show room in about 1973. It was white in colour, mechanicals were more from the Amby. In fact it was quite good looking. But it was never commercialised.

One general comment for almost all the home built cars-what about aesthetics? Did the designers not have any vision? Ugh!

[amtak]

No Mahindra or TATA (Apart from the Nano) or even proper Premier Padmini?

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Hardly an Indian car!

"Technically, the Standard 2000 differed in many ways from its European progenitor. Suspension was the same in its make-up, but ride height was raised by an inch at the front and rear. The engine was unique to the Standard 2000 - and was described by Narayanan, "as a cross between the Triumph TR4 and Rover 2000". This Standard engine first appeared in the Vanguard model of 1948 (and the UK version was also used in the TR4) and was used in the Standard 20 commercial vehicle range after that. Twin SU carburettors were used in the 2000 and the cylinder head was re-designed to resemble the Heron unit found in the P6. The four-speed gearbox was locally designed and replaced the excellent LT77 unit of the original".

Read more.

Rover 3500 was popular amongst British cops. May be Ajmat can throw some light.

[Stanher]

One more car that deserves to be added as a historical milestone in Indian motoring history is the STANDARD GAZEL.

Reason? It was India's first known indigenous car, designed by an Indian (albeit semi-retaining the Herald's design) and was produced in fair numbers. Yet, unfortunately turned out not as successful as it's predecessors and competitors.

[sandeepmdas]

The Arvind is made in Trivandrum, Kerala in 1967. The Illustrated Weekly of India ran a story of this at that time. A couple of guys involved with project were friends of my father, who is no more.

ALL these cars, incl the Arvind are looking contemporary with their times. The Arvind imitates huge american cars with lots of chrome at that time. The HAL is just cute, so italian!

BTW, the Sipani 3-wheeler is named as Badal.

It must be remembered that the Babudom and the crap socialism preached by Mrs Gandhi et al managed to kill all these ideas - till an old man from Andhra became the PM.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by Stanher

One more car that deserves to be added as a historical milestone in Indian motoring history is the STANDARD GAZEL.

Reason? It was India's first known indigenous car, designed by an Indian (albeit semi-retaining the Herald's design) and was produced in fair numbers. Yet, unfortunately turned out not as successful as it's predecessors and competitors.

IIRC, this was the car that had an excellent rear ride quality. The car was smooth to drive as compared to Padmini and Ambassador. That is all what I remember. Used to have a ride in this as one of our family friends bought the car and was somehow able to maintain the car well with a lot of help from my father.

[Gansan]

If I remember correctly the Standard 2000 was originally the Rover 2000. And the Sipani Dolphin (I have owned one!) was the Reliant Kitten. Both were from the U.K.

What about the HM Contessa?