The cars of India

[SambaS]

Didn't know where to post this but apparently the tooling for the Simca Horizon/ Dodge Omni was sold off to Tata in India and the car was built over there for a few years.

 

Anyone got any pictures?

 

Have a Sipani Dolphin to kick off the thread:

 

 

This has to be the best of the Sipani bunch though, the Badal:

 

 

And err, sorry to post pictures I found on the interweb, if that sort of thing offends anybody on here.

 

Was the Sipani Dolphin a successful rally car?

[jmsguzzi]

[jmsguzzi]

Couldn't be built any worse than the Longbridge cars.

 

 

Powered by a 2 L (1,991 cc) four-cylinder engine borrowed from an old Standard Vanguard model. Power was a mere 83 hp (62 kW) at 4,250 rpm. With 1,335 kg (2,940 lb) to drag around and a 4-speed manual transmission (it too from the Standard 20), top speed was a lowly 145 km/h (90 mph)

[garethj]

That Rover's top speed of 90mph is at least 50mph faster than everything else goes, and they're all suicidal even at that pace.

 

More pictures and notes from my trip to India here

[Bucketeer]

the best of the Sipani bunch though, the Badal

 

The Badal is badass (that means good, right?).

[Shep Shepherd]

The Hindustan Contessa, the Subcontinental version of the Vauxhall Victor FE:

 

 

Early versions were almost identical to the Victor, apart from their badging and the fact they were fitted with 1500cc BMC B-Series engines, which gave them a top speed of almost 80mph. The later models had bigger bumpers and Isuzu engines. Production began in the early 1980s and ended in 2002

[Novanick1]

what about the hindustan ambassador, its india's favorite taxi, its basically a morris oxford but its still in production

[SambaS]

That Rover's top speed of 90mph is at least 50mph faster than everything else goes, and they're all suicidal even at that pace.

 

More pictures and notes from my trip to India here

Nice one so you've already spotted a real Sipani Dolphin! At least 2 Hindustan Contessas, a Premier Padmini and some Maruti Zens... I think that red one is an earlier Maruti Zen?

 

Would love to go out there to be sad and car spot but I reckon it's a bit too chaotic for my liking, after watching Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads!

 

What company built the SD1 then, what's that called?

 

I Know Sipani did a Montego..

[STUNO]

Another Hindustan, this time in "out to impress the masses" version

[KruJoe]

 

Did Chris win this one?

[nigel bickle]

I've an interesting lil story regarding a  Indian scooter -a  Kinetic Honda (built there under licence) and apparently ridden here direct, around 10 years ago!  

 

Part of a bundle of 4 munters bought form a senior, now occasional, member of this forum - been having trouble getting the V5c.

 

I sent off for it, using the existing plates, eng no & VIN etc - but that didnt seem to be sufficient. They then asked for a 'rubbing' of the VIN plate, not easy when its under the bike!   3rd attempt succeeded in something passable; but that wasnt enough, either.   Now we needed a photograph!    Duly taken (at some ridiculous angle) - they now further needed an Inspection ,at their Brighton Office.

 

So, yesterday morning my son & I towed it over, for their nice man to check over. Having spent 10 mins scrabbling around on the ground -with the bike on its side (using powerful lights and magnifying glasses) he indeed confirmed my number as correct for the bike -  but wrong for their record!     

Was my bike a ringer?    Had I been mugged?   Even worse, if I had to re-register it today, it couldnt pass the current VOSA test so would never take to the road!  EEeekk!!!

 

Common sense said it couldnt be a ringer. We agreed that there arent any others and it has no real value, so he popped back to the Office and got the entire file.   We sat on the kerb & read it all, carefully .

Bike was indeed imported in 03, and inspected at Wimbledon ,where it was issued the Reg  Number.& Initial  tax disc.

However, that Inspector noted the VIN & Engine numbers as EXACTLY the same as we found!   

It seems the Office staff replaced 'his VIN & Engine number with a totally spurious set of numbers when they set up the record!  

 

We realised that the prev owner hadnt been able to MOT it the following year, or ever again because the numbers didnt match! So it had been laid up, unused in 04 and the whole blame rests totally with the DVLA local Office in S London!

 

Mucho inconvenience all round -but at least I now know why it was laid up./forgotten, and that mechanically -its as good as it looks.

 

Here it is:-

[STUNO]

Congratulations to that inspector for taking the time to search for the truth.

[STUNO]

And one specially for Trigger, with a worrying dip in the middle.

[skattrd]

Joe - no I didn't win the auction for that Tata Gurka/Sierra

People were actually bidding against me, and in a frenzy it ended up at £460, which is more than my current budget, for tat I don't need, allows.

[John F]

Nigel, that picture of the scooter didn't work.

[Junkman]

Bajaj Tempo Hanseat.

 

 

Being a direct successor to the 1938 Tempo A400, and still being built as late as at least 2000,

this may be in fact the car with the longest production run ever.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I'd love one of those Biryani-powered FE's, brilliant

[Station]

 

Jesus!

[RedSparrow]

Tha Badal is amazing.

This is the Sipani D1. Looks like the holes for the windows were cut out with a junior hacksaw.