7 Defunct Automotive Manufacturers in India | Gone Too Soon

The Indian automotive industry is seeing new entrants every now and then. We have seen MG get successful with only 1 product in its lineup for long. Kia too received an unexpectedly high sales for the Seltos. With new cars launching in the Indian market every alternative week, many auto brands are also planning to give a try to the Indian market. On the other hand, there are some brands who had to wind up their operations in India due to low sales and disappointing market response. In today’s featured, we have a look at the defunct automotive manufacturers in India.

1. Opel (1996-2006)
   

   

   With some really good cars down the lineup namely the Astra, multiple versions of the Corsa and the Vectra, Opel entered India in 1996. They stayed in the Indian market for over 10 years before the sale started to decline. There were multiple reasons behind the downfall of this automaker. The prime reason was poor customer service. Also, the cars were priced a bit high and people got cheaper alternatives as the time went by. Therefore, Opel left India in 2006 and is the first one on our list of defunct automotive manufacturers in India.

   Read The Curious Case of Opel Cars in India

2. Chevrolet (2003-2017)
   

   

   This brand had everything that an Indian customer could ask for. They had hatchbacks, they had sedans, they had SUVs too. In the initial years of operations, things were good for Chevrolet in India. They produced some great machines like the Cruze which still holds great value and demand in the market but something went wrong with the others. Sales fell drastically for successful models like the Beat also. Analysing the situation, Chevrolet too decided to wrap up their operations in India. Another defunct automotive manufacturer in India that shouldn’t have gone at all!

3. Fiat (1996-2018)
   

   

   Be it the Palio, Punto or the Linea, Fiat has never failed to disappoint us. With some iconic cars down the lineup, Fiat also failed to impress the audience in the later years of operations. Fiat continued to sell their diesel engines to Maruti Suzuki in India which obviously gave them a great sale amount but their own cars started to fail. Their customer service wasn’t able to cater to the Indian customers well. Joining the list of defunct automobile manufacturers in India, Fiat decided to leave India in 2018.

4. Swaraj Mazda (1983-2011)
   

   

   This automobile manufacturer is still here in India. We have included it in the list of defunct automobile manufacturers in India because Chandigarh based Swaraj Mazda was owned by the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan and Punjab Tractors Limited of India and had technical collaboration with Isuzu and Mazda. Later on, Punjab Tractors sold their shares to Mahindra Tractors in 2009 and therefore, the company could use the name Swaraj for only 2 more years. Finally, in 2011, this brand was renamed to what we have today in the market. It’s the SML Isuzu.

5. Daewoo Motors India
   

   

   Another one among the defunct automobile manufacturers in India is Daewoo Motors. With Cielo, Matiz and Nexia down the lineup, Daewoo India failed drastically. The major reason was the highly-priced vehicles. On the other hand, Daewoo was also not able to assess the Indian market well and failed to understand the needs. A series of mistakes led to their downfall and finally, they had to make an exit in 2003.

   Read What really went wrong with Daewoo Cars in India?

6. Standard (1948–2006)
   

   

   Taking you down the memory lane, Standard was another automobile manufacturer that existed in India and carried out the production in Madras from 1951-1988. Indian Standards were variations of the Standard-Triumph vehicles manufactured in the UK. Union Company (Motors) Ltd. and the British Standard Motor Company joined hands to make Standard Motor Products of India Ltd. Their first vehicle was the Standard Vanguard. This company dissolved in 2006.

7. Sipani (1978–1997)
   

   

   A Bangalore based Indian car manufacturer ‘Sipani’ was established in 1973. Sipani made subcompact cars which had a fibreglass body. Sipani’s predecessor Sunrise Automotive Industries Ltd. (SAIL) was one of the three firms to receive a restrictive license for automobile production in India. The license restricted them from consulting any foreign brand for collaborations, goods or components. Sipani made cars like the Dolphin, Badal and Montana in India.

These were the defunct automobile manufacturers who existed in the Indian market but left too soon. Considering brands like Chevrolet and Fiat, we think they should definitely make a comeback because they have got some really good products in their international lineup. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!