INDIA's Most Iconic & Best Car's in 80's 90's time's

Premier Padmini (Fiat 1100)

The Premier Padmini was a four-seat saloon manufactured in India from 1964 to 2001 by Premier Automobiles Limited, a division of the Walchand Group, under license from Fiat and marketed initially as the Fiat 1100 Delight — and from 1974 as the Premier Padmini. The Padmini's primary competitors in the Indian market were the Hindustan Ambassador and Standard Herald. This famous car ruled the Indian car market and its popularity peaked during 1970s and 80s. Many celebrities of the time including Rajnikanth, Mammootty, Aamir Khan owned a Premier Padmini during its prime years. Known colloquially as the Pad, or Fiat (since the Padmini was originally a Fiat car), the Padmini is named after a 14th-century Rajput princess. Padmini translates to "she who sits on the lotus" and refers to the Goddess Lakshmi. It was also a common name for girls in India at the time.The car even today can be seen on the streets of India.

Ambassador

The Hindustan Ambassador was an automobile manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India, with production from 1958 to 2014 with improvements and changes over its production lifetime. The Ambassador was based on the Morris Oxford series III model, first made by Morris Motors Limited at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959.

Despite its British origins, the Ambassador was considered as a definitive Indian car and was fondly called the "King of Indian roads".The automobile was manufactured by Hindustan Motors at its Uttarpara plant near Calcutta, West Bengal.The ‘Amby' as the car is fondly called was the obvious choice for almost everyone; even serving as the official car for former Presidents and Prime Ministers of India.The Hindustan Ambassador offered plenty of space in its cabin and came with an extremely impressive build quality. The Ambassador was discontinued from the market in 2014, however, it still resides in the garages of many enthusiasts and owners to this date.

 Maruti800

 This is one of the most populer hatchback and Iconic car of Indians. and its a dream car for many people The entry-level hatchback was and is still one of the most popular and iconic cars in the Indian market.The car was launched in 1983 and was the model which paved the path for Maruti Suzuki in the Indian market. The Maruti 800 also brought with it a sense of affordability, allowing the aspirations of many wanting to own a car, a reality. The Maruti 800 also had the longest production run of over 30 years, before being discontinued in 2014.

Maruti Gypsy

The Maruti Gypsy is yet another model in the Indian market, which deserves a mention as an iconic model. The Gypsy was popular even before India's obsession with SUVs began. Although the car wasn't great to drive in the city, the lightweight 4x4 model was a capable off-roader. It's off-roading capabilities was displayed in many rally competitions and wins. The car also became the choice of the Indian Army and has been part of their fleet for quite a while now.
The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is a four-wheel-drive vehicle based on the long wheelbase Suzuki Jimny SJ40/410 series. It is primarily an off-road vehicle, or a vehicle for rough unprepared roads. It was sold in New Zealand as the Suzuki Farm Worker. It was assembled at the Maruti Suzuki's Gurgaon plant in India.                                             It is manufactured in India by Maruti Suzuki. It was introduced in the Indian market in December 1985 with the 970 cc F10A Suzuki engine and while sales were never very high it became very popular with law enforcement. It was codenamed MG410, which stood for "Maruti Gypsy 4-cylinder 1.0-litre engine". Initially, it was only available as a soft-top; but a bolt on hardtop was later introduced to the public after the aftermarket hardtops became popular. It instantly replaced Premier Padmini as the quintessential Indian rally car due to its performance, reliability, tunability and the go-anywhere capability.^[1] The carburetted F10A engine made 45 bhp (34 kW; 46 PS) and was mated to a four-speed gearbox. The 4WD transfer case had two speeds. It had a freewheeling mechanism^[2] on the front axles made by Aisin to unlock the front axles from the hub when 4WD is not used; It reduced rolling resistance, thereby improving fuel efficiency. However, many owners of the Gypsy who constantly complained about the poor fuel consumption never knew about this novel feature.

Hyundai Santro

The Santro is an iconic car for many reasons, most importantly for being the model which made Hyundai, a household name in the country. The South Korean carmaker was back then wasn't very well known in the Indian market and was just trying to find its foundations.The Hyundai Santro was the first model from the brand and was introduced in India in 1997. The hatchback came affordably priced and packed with features  a trend which has stayed true to this day. The car was also fun to drive and the fact that Shah Rukh Khan was its Brand Ambassador, further added to its appeal.The car was unfortunately discontinued in 2014, however, Hyundai did bring the moniker back to the Indian market, with the all-new Santro in 2019. The new-generation model carries forward the legacy of the old proudly.

Tata Indica

The Tata Indica is a supermini car launched by the Indian manufacturer Tata Motors in 1998. It was the first indian hatchback with diesel engine. It was the first passenger hatchback from Tata Motors, with previous models being station wagons and SUVs. Indica is also considered to have been one of India's indigenously developed passenger cars, though not the very first. As of August 2008, more than 910,000 units had been produced and the platform had spawned close to 1.2 million vehicles.Annual sales of Indica were as high as 144,690 units in 2006–07. As of July 2009, monthly sales of Indica were around 8000 units. The models were also exported to European and African countries from late 2004. The car was discontinued in April 2018.The Tata Indica was the model which officially announced the entry of the brand to the passenger vehicle segment. The Indica was also the country's first indigenously developed passenger vehicle as well.the Tata Indica was quick to capitalise on the developing Indian auto industry and paved its way to success. This further led Tata Motors to introduce various different versions of the model, such as the Vista, Monza, Indica V2 and Indica CS; to name a few.However, the newer-generation of Tata cars such as the Tiago and Tigor, led to the Indica being outdated, with the company finally pulling the plug on its production.

Maruti Esteem

The Maruti Suzuki 1000 was one of the most iconic sedans of its time. In 1993. it was rebadged as the Maruti Suzuki Esteem. As an evolution over the 1000, the Esteem brought in a new 1.3 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine which punched out 60 PS of power in a carbureted form.The Esteem was and continues to be one of the most popular sedans through the 90s thanks to its refreshing design and affordability. But that wasn’t all; the Esteem could also easily cross the 120 kmph mark on the speedometer which was a difficult feat to achieve back then. For the longest time, the Esteem had been the go-to vehicle for both rallyists and budding racers.

The Suzuki Esteem is an export nameplate fur the Suzuki Cultus Crescent — mercatit in Europe, Australia an mony Asian kintras as the Suzuki Baleno forby — manufactured by Suzuki Motor Corporation. In India it was manufactured by Maruti Suzuki an selt as the Maruti Baleno/Maruti Esteem.

The Esteem wis introduced in the global mercat in the first hauf o 1995 as Suzuki's first ettle in the compact reenge, at the time maunt by European motors sic as the Volkswagen Golf an Opel Astra, an Japanese models sic as the Nissan Sunny/Sentra an Toyota Corolla. As a North American retour fur the Suzuki Swift saloon (the 3-door hatchback remeened effer hit wis redesignt in 1995), hit wis biggit on a slicht streekit Suzuki Cultus platform fur impruived caibin room, bit itherweys skarin maist o the inner components wi the smawer model — an mercatit as a clear model.

The Esteem/Baleno wis erest available as a 3-door hatchback an 4-door seaden, wi 1.3 L (hatch ainly) an 1.6 L ingines, wi pouer reengin fae 85 tae 99 PS (63 tae 73 kW; 84 tae 98 hp). In 1996, the lineup wist stendit wi the Esteem Wagon (Baleno Break in maist European mercats an Baleno Altura in Indie), Suzuki's formaist station wagon, an wi the same 1.6 L, wi an optional 4WD in the the muckler body teeps.

Suzuki restyled the Esteem/Baleno in 1999. The motor wis gied a new front end, wi a roonder brander an new heidlichts, an the ingine lineup wis wauxt tae include Suzuki's J18A cheen-driven DOHC thit wis fittit tae the saloon and wagon. In North Americae, the Esteem 1.8 Station Wagon completely retoured the Esteem 1.6, bit in maist mreacts the 1.8 saloon becam the sports model. In some European mercats, the 1.8 L I4 wis instawed in the hatchback an selt as the leemitit eedition Baleno GTi. Europe Diesel version, wi a 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) XUD ingine bait by Peugeot.

The Esteem/Baleno wis retoured in maist mercats by the new Aerio/Liana, whilk wis lencht in 2001. Hit wis pullt fae the mercat in Europe an North Americae in 2002, efter a year o owerlappin. The motor remeened available in mony developin kintras, includin Indie and Sootheast Asie, whaur hit wis selt til 2007, whan production stappit at the factory, wi the assembly line giein wey tae the SX4 seaden.

Maruti Zen

Maruti’s third offering in India, the Zen was a premier alternative to the 800. As a result, everything about the car felt better. It had better interiors, more cabin space, and a more powerful engine.

In fact, the success of the Zen was such that it became India’s first “World Car”, as it was also exported to various European countries from 1994 onwards. To date, the Zen is remembered as one of the best hatches from the 90s car era.

The Maruti Suzuki Zen is a 5-door hatchback produced and sold in India by Suzuki's Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki from 1993 until 2006; it is a widened version of the Suzuki Cervo Mode. The word "ZEN" is an acronym standing for Zero Engine Noise. It also stands for the Japanese word "Zen" which means 'Complete'. The Indian-built Zen was also exported to Europe as the Suzuki Alto.

Maruti Alto

The Maruti Suzuki Alto Is one of most popular Iconic Hatch back car in india.                                                    The Maruti Suzuki Alto is a city car manufactured and marketed by Suzuki through its subsidiary Maruti Suzuki primarily for the Indian market since 2000. The first generation was essentially the Indian-built version of the fifth generation Japanese Alto, while the second generation Alto is a standalone model developed mainly for Indian market. It is the best-selling hatchback in India. Since 2006, it is India's largest selling car and crossed the 1 million production figure in February 2008 becoming the third Maruti model to cross the million mark in India after Maruti Suzuki 800 and Maruti Suzuki Omni and fourth overall joining Hyundai Santro.

Maruti Omni

The Maruti Omni is a most Famous and popular Iconic Car of Indian's and This Car Can Seen in many Indian Movies as Kidnaping van and many roll etc... 

The Maruti Omni is a microvan manufactured by Indian automaker Maruti Udyog Limited. The first version of Maruti Omni had the same 796 cc engine as the Maruti 800 city car. This was the second vehicle to be launched by Maruti, one year after the 800, in 1984.

The Omni could be divided into two categories: the family version and the cargo version. The newer family version has two extra seats directly behind the front seating and facing away towards the rear of the van making it an eight seater. (Older versions was modified by individual owners to add additional capacity this way). The cargo version is completely devoid of back seats. Both versions have sliding back doors and hatchbacks. The Omni is also unique in a way that it uses a front mid engine rear wheel drive layout, as it helps in maximizing cabin and cargo space and providing maximum traction.

Mitsubishi Lancer

The first car of the Hindustan Motors X Mitsubishi joint venture, the Mitsubishi Lancer was a good-looking sedan that wore a unique and sporty design. The sedan was powered by a capable 1.5-litre petrol engine that churned out 86 PS of power and was later offered with a diesel engine as well.                                                                      The Lancer became a massive success in the 90s as it bridged the gap between sports and luxury. Sharing roots with the legendary EVO, the Lancer had one of the best ride quality and chassis back then that even made it popular amongst rallyists.                                                                                                                                                       The Mitsubishi Lancer is an automobile nameplate produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors since 1973.The Lancer has been marketed as the Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times, and has been sold as the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis in Japan since 2007. It has also been sold as Mitsubishi Lancer Fortis in Taiwan with a different facelift than the Galant Fortis. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Car PlazaBetween its introduction in 1973 and 2008, over six million units were sold. There have been nine generations of Lancers before the current model.

Mitsubishi ended production of the Lancer in August 2017 worldwide, with the exception of Taiwan and Mainland China. An extensive facelift was given to the car by Pininfarina's Chinese offices..

Chevrolet Spark

The second offering by Chevrolet Spark in India, the Spark was the “cute little car” of the 90s that was one of the best-suited offerings for a small family. Much like the Maruti 800, the Spark too was powered by an 800 cc engine, in a three-cylinder avatar. The engine churned 52 Ps of power, which was more than what the 800 produced back then.

The Spark however locked horns with the Hyundai Santro which was also launched during the same time. The success of the Spark was credited to its non-boxy looks and great mileage. To date, the Chevrolet Spark is immortal in the memories of all the 90s kids.                                                                                                   The Chevrolet Spark  is a city car manufactured by General Motors's subsidiary GM Korea, currently in its fourth generation. The vehicle initially introduced in 1998 as the Daewoo Matiz 

In 2002, General Motors purchased Daewoo Motors which saw the vehicle being marketed with several marques and nameplates of GM. The third generation was predominantly marketed under its Chevrolet brand, including in North America as the Chevrolet Spark. The fourth-generation was launched in 2015, also known as the Holden Spark in Australia and New Zealand. It also serves as the basis for the Opel Karl in Europe, Vauxhall Viva in the UK, and VinFast Fadil in Vietnam, the latter manufactured under license.

Chevrolet Beat

The Chevrolrt Beat is popular Iconic car in Indian Market. 

The redesigned Matiz (codenamed M300) was launched in 2009 and is based on the 2007 Chevrolet Beat concept car. Although sold globally as the Chevrolet Spark, in India this model retains the Beat name from the concept car, as the second generation Spark continues to be sold in this market. In some Latin American markets, the Beat name was also used, while Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru received it as the Spark GT. Prior to the 2011 elimination of the Daewoo marque in South Korea, the third generation Spark was marketed as the Daewoo Matiz Creative. This marque was less successful than the previous models.The first facelift was revealed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The facelift feature a redesigned dual-port grille and front bumper as well as restyled headlamp covers and foglamps. The North American model, launched for the 2013 model year, uses the facelifted styling. The first facelift model was launched in India in February 2014. The facelifted Holden Barina Spark retained the existing front bumper, with its front grille being redesigned.

Ford Escort

This is  Ford’s first car for India, the Escort was a spacious sedan with a large boot and comfortable seats. The 1.8-litre diesel engine of the Escort still remains a beautiful memory for people who owned the vehicle for a long time.and this is another star sedan of the 90s, the Ford Escort was an owner’s favourite. Despite the fact that the Escort wasn’t a perfect vehicle, we don’t find a reason not to include it in our iconic vehicle list. The Escort was a well-engineered vehicle that came with almost all comfortable features such as, power steering, music system, air conditioning and front power windows as well.

TATA Sumo

    The Tata Sumo is a SUV produced by the Indian automobile manufacturer Tata Motors from 1994 to 2019. During production its name was changed to Sumo Victa and later to Sumo Gold.                                                               The Sumo was launched in 1994 as a ten-seater rear-wheel-drive SUV primarily designed for military use and off-road transport. It saw great sales success, and more than 100,000 Sumo vehicles were sold prior to 1997.The success of the Tata Sumo knows no bound. Ever since Sumo launched, it became a huge success all over the nation. The Sumo was indeed the first modern passenger vehicle in all senses.In the Indian market the rear-wheel drive version was sold to the civilian market, the four-wheel drive was sold to fleets and the Indian army. In the export market the 4WD version was regularly sold alongside the 2WD.

Prior to the Sumo, the Indian market had stagnated, where the most modern vehicles in the same class were from Mahindra and Mahindra, primarily derived from the original Willys Jeep models. Upon release, Tata Sumo quickly captured a major segment of the utility automobile market in India.

And Powered by a tried and tested 2-litre diesel engine the Sumo possessed an incredibly spacious layout that could seat as many as 9 people. Enjoying an undisputed reign of over two decades, the Sumo was and continues to be one of the hottest SUVs to ever hit the Indian market.

Tata Nano

The Tata Nano enters the list just for what it represented at the time. The Nano was a result of the promise made by Tata to introduce in the Indian market, the ‘world's cheapest car'. The Tata Nano was introduced in India in 2009, fulfilling this promise.
Although the car initially generated a hype, it soon declined, with the ‘cheap car' tag not being to everyone's liking. Over the years, Tata did bring in a number of updates and even introduced the GenX model, however, these updates did little to revive the declining sales of the Nano. The car finally faced the axe and has been discontinued from the brand's lineup.

Hyundai Accent

The Hyundai Accent    is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent's predecessor. The Accent was replaced in 2000 by the Hyundai Verna in South Korea, although most international markets, including the US, retained the "Accent" name. The "Accent" name is an abbreviation of Advanced Compact Car of Epoch-making New Technology.

The Accent is produced for the Chinese market by Beijing Hyundai Co., a joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry Corp. For the Russian market it was assembled by the TagAZ plant in Taganrog until 2011, and since 2011 it is assembled by the HMMR plant in Saint Petersburg and sold under the new name Hyundai Solaris. In Mexico, the Accent was marketed until 2014 by Chrysler as the Dodge Attitude, previously known as the Verna by Dodge. In Venezuela, Chrysler marketed these models as the Dodge Brisa until 2006. The Brisa was assembled by Mitsubishi Motors at its plant in Barcelona, Venezuela. Since 2002, the Accent had been the longest-running small family car sold in North America. In Puerto Rico, it has been sold as the Hyundai Brio.

In 2008, Hyundai Accent was named the most dependable subcompact car by J.D. Power and Associates

A sedan that never fades away from our memories, the Hyundai Accent was Hyundai’s first sedan for India. Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, the Accent churned out 92 PS of power in its first generation.Competing with the popular Esteem, the Accent went on to stay in the market longer than the Esteem. The vehicle became massively popular owing to its sportiness and feature-loaded cabin. With power steering and AC standard across all variants, the Accent started a trend that changed the entire scene.

Opel Astra

As GM’s first offering in India, the Astra was one of the best-looking and the fanciest sedan back then. Launched in 1996 the Astra came with a 1.6-litre petrol engine with single-point fuel injection.The vehicle churned out a modest 76 PS of power, which was later enhanced in 1997. The Astra had a feature-rich cabin, well-done interiors, power windows, central locking, and power steering and all standard features.

Tata Safari

The Tata Safari is a mid-size SUV produced by the Indian automobile manufacturer Tata Motors since 1998. The first-generation Safari has been designed as a seven-seater SUV with a foldable third row, roomy interior; on the market it has positioned itself as an alternative from the competitive price to other brands off-road vehicles.

The Safari nameplate was re-introduced in 2021. Unlike the previous Safari, the second-generation Safari is a front-wheel-drive, monocoque crossover SUV, sharing its underpinnings with the Tata Harrier.

Saving the best for the last, no one can forget that the 90s gave us something that we cherish to this day. The original Safari was India’s first truly affordable luxury SUV back then. The first Safari came with a 2.0-litre diesel engine that was fitted with a turbocharger back then, putting out 90PS of power, mated to a five-speed manual and a four-wheel-drive option.

The Safari has since the 90s car era, ruled the streets for almost 22 years until the BS6 norms came in. The Safari badge, however, is so popular that Tata Motors was forced to rebrand it as the all-new Tata Safari that we now have.