5. Maruti Omni
The car that became famous for being the choice of every kidnapper in Indian movies because of its sliding doors, the Maruti Omni has plowed a deeply significant place in the history of Indian automobiles and hearts of the people of the country. The Omni was generally referred to as Maruti ‘Van’. Powering the car was the same 796cc inline 3-cylinder petrol engine that produced 37 PS and 62 Nm of torque. After the long production run of 35 years, the Omni was discontinued by the manufacturer due to its inability to meet the updated safety and emissions standards of the nation.
4. Hindustan Motors Contessa
Dubbed as the muscle car of its time the Hindustan Motors Contessa was one legendary classic of the Indian automotive industry. The Contessa was the second car that was launched by Hindustan Motors and was intended to be the new face of the company replacing the iconic Ambassador. Acquiring the inspiration from Vauxhall Victor, the Contessa arrived at the market with a 1.5-litre BMC B-series engine that was mated with the 4-speed HM manual transmission. Ruling the nation for about 25 years, the Contessa Classic was a very popular choice for government vehicles because of its luxury.
3. Maruti 800
Launched in the year of 1983 to fight against the likes of the country’s favorite sedans the Ambassador and Padmini, this little hatchback changed the way India looked at cars. Retailing for Rs. 48,000/- the car gathered so much demand that people were inclined to shell out more than Rs. 1 lakh for this hatchback. Powered by an inline 3-cylinder 796cc petrol engine the 800 produced 37 PS and 59 Nm of torque. The Maruti 800 was the first Indian car to feature the front wheel layout in India. Though the car was an undisputed leader of the market its entire life, it was forced out by the market by its manufacturer itself.
2. Premier Padmini
Colloquially known as the ‘Pad’ or ‘Fiat’, the Premier Padmini was named after a 14th-century Rajput princess. The compact looking sedan was reliable and rock-solid all thanks to the Fiat 1089cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine that made 40 PS and 71 Nm of torque. The Padmini was the strongest rival that stood against the king of the roads, the Ambassador. Many leading icons of the time including Rajnikanth, Mammootty and Aamir Khan and many others owned this compact sedan during its prime years.
1. Hindustan Motors Ambassador
This car has been the symbol of high and mighty in power corridors, the choice of politicians and bureaucrats of the country and the longest production car of India, a true icon and legend of the Indian automotive industry that is the one and only the Ambassador. The Ambassador became the face of the nation and will remain the single most legendary car of our country. Known as the king of the roads, the Ambassador was the first diesel car of India and was famous for its sturdy build and comfortable ride.
10 Most Iconic Indian Cars
– Tata received over 1,00,000 bookings of the Indica in the first 24 hours of launch
– Mahindra Scorpio’s project was completed by a team of only 23 engineers
– Hindustan Motors Ambassador is the longest production car in the Indian automotive history
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