5 Cool Cars That Our Fathers Used To Drive

Our fathers always passed on something to us; it can be little things, habits, a knack for particular skills or a passion for cars. Some of us are lucky enough to have petrolheads fathers who share the same passion & love for automobiles. While for the others, cars might just have been a form of transportation. Regardless of that, we used to enjoy drives with our fathers. Let’s look at a few cool cars our fathers used to drive:

1. Contessa
   

   

   Starting with the most incredible car on our list and the only Indian muscle car. The Hindustan Motors Contessa was an iconic car at the time and loved by everyone and powered by a 1.5-litre engine churning out only 50hp initially same as the Ambassador. The engine was mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox with a top speed of 125km/h. Later HM collaborated with Isuzu and got 1.8-litre engines for their muscle car. Some of our fathers owned this, and we might have also learnt to drive on it.

   Also Read: HM Contessa | Hindustan’s very own Desi Muscle Car

   The Contessa was a hit as soon as it was launched; the initial price was around ₹83,000 with a booking amount of ₹15,000. It was an instant hit due to the looks, luxurious interior & features that the other cars missed out on. It had an upmarket interior, central locking, and air-conditioning. The bigger engine brought on the “Classic 1.8GL” badging at the rear, and it was a refined beast which amazed the people.

2. Thar
   

   

   The next candidate on our list is India’s most loved offroader, Mahindra Thar. This SUV started as the MM540 and was later launched as Thar in 2010 to fill the void of its predecessor. Powered by a 2.5-litre diesel engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox, it is one of the top-voted SUVs in the Indian market. If you were lucky enough if your father had one of these at home, you must have enjoyed a drive with this raw power.

   Also Read: Celebrating The Mahindra Thar | 10 Years of An Offroading Cult

   It was also a fantastic experience while standing at the back while our fathers drove through the breeze. Thar has come a long way with the latest generation still conquering more & more. Mahindra received over 75,000 bookings and is still trying to cope with the high demand & chip shortage. The waiting period is still around 9-12 months for the Thar.

3. Gypsy
   

   

   Another Indian offroader on our list is the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which was the best seller for the company but had to be discontinued. We all have seen this car being used by the government & armed forces, but some of our fathers had them too. It was an underrated offroader which packed a lot of potential, and we can still witness modified Gypsys during rallies. The production for civilians stopped, and it is only available to the defence now, but it is a reliable SUV.

   Also Read: 5-door Suzuki Jimny to be launched in India soon. Preparations Begin!

   It will be launched as the Jimny this year; Maruti Suzuki already showcased the 3-door version at the previous Auto Expo. We have also observed it during testing on the Indian roads and have been waiting for Jimny to make way and compete with the Thar & Gurkha. Maruti Suzuki might also reveal the 5-door version of the Jimny in the upcoming Auto-Expo.

4. Zen
   

   

   This little hatchback was very common, and we all enjoyed a little ride while our father drove. It was a very popular car and was the first car for many families that offered well for the price of around ₹3.4 lakhs. It was one of the early hatchbacks in India, and we can still find a few of them running on the road and carrying on. It was also launched as Zen Estilo later on but which also was a good product but did not catch up as the predecessor.

   Also Read: Modified Maruti Suzuki Zen | Certified India’s Loudest

   Zen was not only a family car. It was also used for numerous rallies. A lot of people throughout the country have modified Zen in their garage that performed well at rallies & other events. It had a lot of potential to be modified, and it delivered well along with the performance mods.

5. Ambassador
   

   

   The last car on our list is the iconic Ambassador, which was loved throughout India. This might be the car that our fathers learned to drive on and were a dream for every common man during that time. It was on the roads for more than 50 years and was owned by all celebrities & politicians. We can still see it being used by government offices but we might witness a comeback soon.

   Also Read: Legendary Ambassador Making A Comeback? Details Here!

   The new Ambassador is already under development and might make it to the market by 2024. Hindustan Motors is working along with French carmaker Peugeot to get the Amby rolling again on the Indian roads. Which of these cars did your father have?

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