Home Part 2: The Last 100 years 8: Car Manufacturers by Country 8.9 India History of Indian Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers 8.9 India   8.9.1.  Hindustan Motors The company was formed in 1942 by Mr B M Birla but production of the first car, the Hindustan 10 which was based on the British Morris 10, did not start until 1949. How many were made and until when? This was followed in 1950 by the “Baby Hindustan”, a car based on the Morris Minor, and the Hindustan 14 which was based on the Morris 14. How many of each were made and until when? Production of the Landmaster, a car based on the Morris Oxford, started in 1954. Was it based on the Oxford MO model? Could the Landmaster have been produced prior to 1949? In 1957 a tool line of the Series 3 Morris Oxford was transferred to India and production of the Ambassador car started in 1958. Models produced include the Mark 1 to 1V range, Nova, 1800 1SZ and the Avigo.  From 1958 to 1993 the Ambassador (“Amby”) was fitted with a 1,489 cc engine. In 1993, as a result of emission regulations, a 1,800 cc Isuzu engine was fitted to the 1800 1SZ model.   In 1978 a diesel engined version became available. By 2004 nearly four million Ambassador cars had been sold. The car was still being produced in 2008. Between 1982 and 2002 the company produced the Contessa, a car based on the British Vauxhall Victor VX FE Series.  1,817 cc 88 hp petrol and 2 litre diesel engined versions were produced. 8.9.2.  Maruti Udyog In 1982 Maruti Udyog signed a license and joint venture agreement with the Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan.  In 1983 the company launched the Maruti 800, a rebadged version of the first generation Suzuki Alto. The three cylinder car had a 796 cc petrol powered engine and a top speed of about 120 kph (75 mph).   By about 2003, with sales of 2.4 million, it was the top selling car in India. Between 1990 and 1994 the company produced the Maruti 1000, a 970 cc sedan (a car sold by Suzuki as the Cultus in other countries). The Zen, a 993 cc hatchback car, was produced in 1993.  In 1995 an upgraded version of the Maruti 1000, called the Esteem, was introduced, originally with either a 1.3 litre petrol or a 1.5 litre diesel engine. The three cylinder, 796 cc petrol powered, Alto model was introduced in 2000. It had a top speed of 130 kph (81 mph). 8.9.3.  Premier Automobiles Premier Automobiles was formed in 1944 and by about 1949 it was building the Plymouth car under licence from the Chrysler Corporation of the USA. Between 1962 and 1998 the company produced a licensed version of the Fiat 1100 called the Premier Padmini. The car had a 40 hp (30 kW) petrol powered engine. How many were produced?       After 1996 some models had diesel engines. Other cars manufactured by the company up to 2001 include a version of the Fiat 124, the Fiat Uno and the Peugeot 309. 8.9.4.  Reva  For information on the Reva Electric Car Company see Green Cars, Section 7.7.1 (India). 8.9.5.  Standard Motors  In 1948/49 the Union Motor Company reached an agreement with Standard Motors (UK) and by about 1950 they started to assemble 2088 cc Vanguard cars.   By the early 1950s locally produced parts were being fitted. The company’s name was changed to Standard Motor Products of India (STAMPRO). In what year was the name changed? In 1955 the company introduced the 803 cc Standard 8 model and shortly afterwards the 948 cc Standard 10 (hp), which was a larger engine version of the model 8. How many of each were made?  The Pennant model, a restyled Standard 10, was produced between 1959 and mid 1961. An estate version called the Companion was produced until late 1963. In December 1960 the 948 cc, two-door Standard (Triumph) Herald was introduced in India replacing, in 1961, the model 10 and the Pennant.  Locally produced fuel gauges, speedos and amp meters were utilised from 1963 and by 1964 the engine, gearbox and axles were manufactured locally. In 1966 the mark 2 version of the Standard Herald was introduced, followed shortly afterwards by the four-door Mark 3 model in late 1967/early 1968.  In 1970 the Companion estate version of the Mark 3 was produced.  Note: Standard Motors of UK acquired Triumph in 1944. In 1961 Leyland Motors acquired Standard Triumph, who in turn became part of the newly formed British Leyland in 1968.    In 1970 Standard Motor’s agreement with British Leyland ended and production of the Standard Herald car ceased in 1971. How many Standard Herald cars were made between 1962 and 1971? Between 1971 and 1977 the company produced the 948 cc, 10 hp four-door Gazel, the first car designed in India. How many were made? A 5-door estate version was also supplied.  Car production, which had ceased in 1977, resumed in 1985 when the company launched the Standard 2000, a rebadged British Leyland Rover SD1 fitted with a modified 1991 cc Standard Vanguard engine. Was a 2061 cc 85 hp engine also fitted? Production of this model ceased in 1987.  8.9.6.  Tata Motors   Tata Motors was formerly called TATA Engineering & Locomotive Company when, in 1945, it started making trains. The name was changed to Tata Motors in 1960. Check the date. In 1998 the company produced the Indica model.      The car was mainly designed and developed by Tata Motors and was India’s most indigenous car. The car’s outer body styling, however, whilst strongly influenced by Tata, was carried out by an Italian design institute. The engine’s design was sourced from Peugeot and built by Tata. An upgraded version, the Indica V2, was launched in 2001, with a 1.4 litre diesel engine. 1.2 and 1.4 litre petrol engine versions were also produced. In 2002 the company introduced the 1.4 litre Indigo model. A station wagon version was produced in 2004.  8.9.7.  Other Information The Maharaja of Patiala (Punjab) imported the first motor car into India in 1892. It was a French De Dion Bouton steam powered two cylinder tricar.   In 1893 the American Ransom Eli Olds obtained his first export order, a 4 wheeled Olds steam car which was despatched by ship to India – but it didn’t arrive. The ship sank on the way there.  It was the first car ever exported from the United States. There is a report that the first car was driven in Calcutta in 1896. What model? Mr Foster owned a car in Bombay in 1897. What model? In 1898 a car was brought into India by H Hewitt. What model?  In about 1901 three Curved Dash Oldsmobile models were brought into India and sold to Jamshedji Tata, founder of the Tata Group of Industries, Rustam Cama, an attorney and Kavasji Wadia of Bombay Garage.    There were reputed to have been 1,025 cars in Bombay in 1910.    Goodyear set up India’s first tyre plant in 1920 (followed by Firestone a few years later). In 1926 the Ford Motor Company of Canada established India’s first Automobile assembly plant. Was it to produce the Model T Ford?  Note: About 22,000 Model T Fords were supplied to India by Ford of Canada.  Two years later, in 1928, Chevrolet/GM set up an assembly plant in Sewree. The first car produced was the 24.7 hp National Series AB Touring model. What other models were made between 1928 and 1954? GM and Ford stopped car production in India in 1954. In 1930 the number of imported and cars assembled in kingdom exceeded 30,000. Hindustan Motors produced 26,263 automobiles in 1995. India produced 500,301 cars in 2001 and 1,056,881 in 2005. 8.9.7.  Other Indian Automobile Companies  Ashok Motors (1948), Force Motors (1958), Mahindra & Mahindra (1945) and Sunrise Automotive Industries/Sipani (1974). Start dates shown in brackets.         [ Back ]