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VINTAGE CARS

The sight of the glamorous old vintage cars take you back to the nostalgic era when automobiles first entered the world of modern transportation.

Vintage cars still do make waves in India. Stylishly designed vintage cars have now become collector items. Vintage car rallies are still organized every few years . Here winning is not as important as the exhibition of the pride and joy of these vintage car owners on a central stage. The art of maintenance of these vintage cars is an arduous and time consuming affair and due credit goes to all those who still maintain these vehicles in running condition.

History of Vintage Cars in India

As early as 1898 the first motorcar was seen on Indian roads. For about half a century manufacture was non localized. Cars had to be imported into India. About 5000 cars were imported into India. These are truly western vintage models . They are still being bought and sold by collectors as a fascinating hobby.

Local assembly of cars began during the years between the World Wars, assembly units were set up in Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta and Chennai.

An indigenous Indian Automobile industry began when Premier Automobiles Ltd (PAL) and Hindustan Motors (HM) began setting up plans for manufacture. Till then the automobile industries concentrated on assembly of products imported from the West in a knocked down kit.

PAL and HM have been India's major car manufacturers right from Independence. Standard Motors Products of India (SMPIL) also manufactured cars but disappeared in latter years.

Timeline

The Indian Auto Industry is fairly nascent and it is only in recent years that a proliferation of a wide variety of cars has begun sprouting under the loosening shackles of the License Raj. The following lists the production and manufacture of cars in India from the stage of Independence upto 30 years ago.

1946 - The Dodge DeSoto and Plymouth cars were assembled at PAL in association with Chrysler	1949 - HM manufactures the Hindustan 10 (or the Morris 10) in association with Nuffield of U.K. (United Kingdom) - Mahindra & Mahindra make Willys Jeeps - Austin A40 from Ashok Motors

1950 - Fiat 500 arrives - Austin A70 begins - Morris 14 / Hindustan 14	1954 - HM Landmaster the Forerunner of the omnipresent Amby (ambassador) - Fiat Millicento launched

1955 - Standard 8 arrives	1957 - Ambassador MK I launched

1959 - Standard 10 - Standard Pendant	1960 - Standard Herald launched

1963 - Ambassador MK II launched	1964 - Fiat 1100D launched, forerunner of the Padmini

1970 - Standard Gazel arrives
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