Premier Padmini
Encyclopedia
'Premier Padmini' was an automobile manufactured in India from 1967 to 2000.
Premier Automobiles Limited
, the erstwhile flagship company of India's Walchand Hirachand Group, assembled Fiat
's Fiat 1100
cars from the 1950s until 1997. The car ruled Indian roads for three decades (1955-1985).
The Fiat 1100D, based on the Fiat 1200 GranLuce Berlina debuted in India in 1964 with a 1,089 cc four-cylinder engine rather than the GranLuce's 1,221 cc engine. It put out 40 bhp
(30 kW) at 4800 rpm with a maximum torque
of 7.20 kgf
·m (70.6 N·m
) at 3000 rpm. The original transmission was a four-speed manual gearbox that drove the rear wheels through a live axle. Weighing 895 kg (1,973.1 lb) the car could attain a top speed of 115 kilometre per hour.
Premier manufactured it at their Kurla
, Mumbai
plant until they sold a majority stake to Fiat SpA in September 1997.
With minor modifications over the years, it was variously named Fiat 1100/103, Fiat Millecento, Fiat 1100-Delight, Premier President and finally the Premier Padmini.
Some post-1996 models (137D) sported diesel engines, built under license from Fratelli Negri Machine Sud S.r.l., Italy.
Numerous examples still abound as taxicab
s in Mumbai. Many of these taxis now run on CNG
for fuel economy.
Along with the Hindustan Ambassador
, it harks back to the socialist India of pre-liberalization, before the reforms program of 1991. Classic Car Clubs have since been started by Fiat enthusiasts.
Premier Automobiles Limited
Premier Automobiles Limited
Premier Ltd. is a manufacturer of vehicles based in Mumbai, India.Founded in 1944, the car first launched production by building vehicles under license from Dodge and Plymouth. In 1951, they began producing versions of the Fiat 500 for the Indian market. This was followed by the Fiat 1100 in 1954...
, the erstwhile flagship company of India's Walchand Hirachand Group, assembled Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
's Fiat 1100
Fiat 1100
The Fiat 1100 is a compact automobile produced from 1937 to 1969, by the Italian car maker Fiat.- Fiat 508C Nuova Balilla 1100 :The Fiat 1100 was first introduced in 1937 as an updated version of the 508 "Balilla" with a look similar to the 1936 Fiat 500 "Topolino" and the larger 1500, with the...
cars from the 1950s until 1997. The car ruled Indian roads for three decades (1955-1985).
The Fiat 1100D, based on the Fiat 1200 GranLuce Berlina debuted in India in 1964 with a 1,089 cc four-cylinder engine rather than the GranLuce's 1,221 cc engine. It put out 40 bhp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(30 kW) at 4800 rpm with a maximum torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
of 7.20 kgf
KGF
KGF may refer to:*Keratinocyte Growth Factor*King George's Fields A UK set of 471 memorial playing fields and recreation grounds*Kolar Gold Fields*The IATA code for Sary-Arka Airport, Karaganda, Kazakhstan...
·m (70.6 N·m
Newton metre
A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
) at 3000 rpm. The original transmission was a four-speed manual gearbox that drove the rear wheels through a live axle. Weighing 895 kg (1,973.1 lb) the car could attain a top speed of 115 kilometre per hour.
Premier manufactured it at their Kurla
Kurla
Kurla is a suburb of Mumbai. It is also the name of one the busiest railway stations on the Mumbai suburban railway on the central and harbour railway lines of Mumbai...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
plant until they sold a majority stake to Fiat SpA in September 1997.
With minor modifications over the years, it was variously named Fiat 1100/103, Fiat Millecento, Fiat 1100-Delight, Premier President and finally the Premier Padmini.
Some post-1996 models (137D) sported diesel engines, built under license from Fratelli Negri Machine Sud S.r.l., Italy.
Numerous examples still abound as taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s in Mumbai. Many of these taxis now run on CNG
Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
for fuel economy.
Along with the Hindustan Ambassador
Hindustan Ambassador
The Hindustan Ambassador is a car manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India. It has been in production since 1958 with few modifications or changes and is based on the Morris Oxford III model, first made by the Morris Motor Company at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959.Despite...
, it harks back to the socialist India of pre-liberalization, before the reforms program of 1991. Classic Car Clubs have since been started by Fiat enthusiasts.