An extreme level of comfort, best possible equipment and best in class quality, this is what luxury is comprised of. Luxury cars have been a prominent segment in India. Carmakers are trying to bring in their best luxuries to cater to the demands of customers. But then there are some legendary luxuries that you might have forgotten. Let’s take a look at 10 such forgotten luxury cars in India.
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Chevrolet Impala | The American grace
General Motors introduced the Impala back in 1958. The full-size sedan was a power-packed luxury which is still in demand in the USA. It was equipped with an inline 6-cylinder engine which could churn out 152.8hp of power and 325Nm of torque. This engine was a massive 5.0-litre engine which was also offered with a 2-speed automatic transmission back in the time when cars in itself was a luxury.
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Hindustan Contessa | The Made-In-India luxury
Indigenously built Contessa was launched back in 1983 in India. It is based on the Vauxhall Victor series. The 4-door sedan was came equipped with an in-line 1.8-litres four-cylinder engine. The engine used to ooze out 88hp of power and 136Nm of peak torque. As soon as it launched, Contessa became popular amongst the government officials. It was also used in Bollywood movies to define luxury. Contessa, though discontinued still has a high value due to the cult following.
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Standard 2000 | A three years spell
The Indian company, Standard, adopted the European Rover SD1 and rebadged it as Standard 2000 in 1985. The carmaker had to fit 2000 with a 2.0-litre engine as the company was not able to obtain a license for 2.2-litre Rover engine. The equipped engine made an 83hp of power and had a top speed of 145km/hr. But low fuel efficiency, high price and legal actions from the government led to the discontinuation of the car in a mere 3 years. There were around 2000 units sold in a short period of time whereas the company planned to sell around 4000 units per year.
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Premier 118NE | An affordable opulence
Fiat 124 was launched in India under the collaboration with Premier Automobile in 1985. The car was equipped with a 1.1-lire Nissan A12 engine, the reason it is named 118NE. The luxury sedan had a very comfy ride quality and a smooth gearbox. Being affordable, Premier 118NE had a great run in the Indian market. The company shelved the model in 2001 after a successful run of 16 years.
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Maruti 1000/Esteem | Maruti trying to break the old car omen
Kizashi was not the only try the company made while trying to enter the luxury segment. The Japanese automaker tried it way back in 1990 with the Maruti 1000. The car’s highest power-to-weight ratio in the sub-2.0-litre class made it popular amongst the rally car drivers. In 1994, the car was released under the name of Esteem which came equipped with an upgraded 1.3-litre engine. Due to low fuel efficiency, the sedan was not able to make a mark.
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Rover Montego | Best-in-class, Best-at-time
Sipani Motors launched Rover Montego in India in 1991. The sedan was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It was laden with features like power steering, power windows and air-conditioning were standard features in the sedan. All this led to the price tag of ₹10 lakhs at that time.
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Daewoo Cielo | What else could you ask for?
The Korean brand was known to bring-in a feature-loaded lineup in India. Cielo was no exception. The spacious sedan was launched in 1995 and came loaded with power steering, power windows, central locking, powered ORVMs, and adjustable leather steering at the time when these features were not at all common. It made quite a stir in the market but destiny had some other plans. In 1998, the company became bankrupt and the sedan was gone.
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Opel Astra | The GM bringer
American automaker, General Motors started its operation in India with the launch of Opel Astra in 1996. The car was assembled at the Indian soil in collaboration with Birla group. It was powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine. The car got 77hp of power and a top speed over 160km/hr from the unit. But high maintenance cost and unavailability of spare parts led to low sales. The car was discontinued in 2003.
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Ford Escort | A heavy drinker
The American carmaker came to our shores in 1995 in a joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra. It came equipped with a 1.3-litre petrol engine. But the unit was a thirsty one and Indian customers were not happy with it. It was discontinued in 2001 due to low sale volumes.
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HM Ambassador | Netaji’s first (and only) choice
Who in the country is not familiar with the Ambassador. The classic ‘LAAL BATTI VALI GAADI’. It was a hit in its time and is still visible on roads. The legend was most popular amongst the government officials. The Presidential Ambassador even had bulletproof doors. The luxury sedan was completely made in India by Hindustan Motors. The company was so attached to the sedan that it tried to fit it into every possible segment such as station wagon, SUV, pickup truck and so on.
Have fun reading: 10 Forgotten Bikes In India: From Yezdi to Mini Bullet
This was our list for the 10 forgotten luxury cars of India. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comment section.
The Maruti 1000 ^ Esteem was a roaring success and was a super hit. What kind of Garbage do you write.
Hi Inder,
The Maruti Esteem was a great success for sure, while the 1000 had a good run among the rally race enthusiasts. It is one of the few cars from the automaker that have been loved by the rally lovers.
Hi Respected Sir,
The Conteasa Car was a luxury vehicle, I didn’t drive that car but I like so much and now also am searching that used Contessa Car my own use but not available in good conditioned Car if possible please send me the details of that car in which location is availability……..
I requesting you if possible please make new Contessa Car as same old style with new features .
Thanking You
Hareesh Reddy
Hi Hareesh,
As of now, we don’t deal in used or vintage cars. So, We’d like to suggest you, visit the nearest used car dealer and just maybe you’ll find one. Good Luck! 🙂
I am interested for impala car any bady sell me your impala call me
8769042954