Cars have been an integral part of people’s lifestyle for too long and when the trend changes, automakers respond by launching new vehicles. Through the years, there have been cars that came and went in a blur while others survived the test of times and remained icons. Here we have listed some of them from the 1990s to help you revisit your past:
The Contessa was indeed based on the Vauxhall VX Series of 1976-78 and a development of the Vauxhall Victor FE. Graced India in 1983, it was one of the few locally made luxury cars and was a competitor to the Standard 2000 that had a short stint and Premier 118 NE. The Contessa was also a favourite choice for government authorities.
It was a revolutionary product from Tata and featured many firsts like power windows, adjustable steering, power steering, tachometer, etc. Before Tata pulled the plugs off the Sierra in 2000, it had a rich legacy of being an authentic off-roader even a family conscious buyer could use and was powered by the powerful turbo and non-turbo engines.
Despite its advanced nature, it had a fairly short stint in the market and was rolled out between 1992 and 2000. The Estate was developed from the 207 pickup’s platform and it had a shaky start plagued by mechanical and electrical gremlins before they were eventually fixed. It still remains as an iconic Indian vehicle and has a special beacon yet to be filled by others.
However, its short yet memorable years in India were for the enthusiasts to drool about. The no-frills attitude complemented by the beautiful three-box appeal stayed as a major selling factor and it is one of the cars hitting a gong on your head when thinking about the golden ‘90s period.
It was fuel-efficient and some still consider it as a better prospect than the Santro that came along. With General Motors quitting India at the end of last year, the hopes of a Matiz reincarnation went in vein.
More suited for driving on conventional surfaces, the Mahindra Armada wore a traditional SUV body with flat bonnet structure, horizontal slats and round-shaped headlamps. Different derivatives of the Armada were made available through its life span including the haulers and the Grand version went on sale in 1998 as the most luxurious within the range. It paved the way for Bolero becoming one of the successful UVs ever produced in India.
In India, the Opel Astra was assembled in a joint venture with the Birla Companies from 1996 to 2002. Due to financial troubles, the brand discontinued four years later from the market and was replaced by Chevrolet. During its short tenure of six years, the compact car won over enthusiasts in aplenty. The Astra name reigns on in global markets under Vauxhall but it is unlikely to reach make a comeback for the foreseeable future.
Named after a 14th century Rajput princess, the Padmini stayed in production between 1970 and 1998. It used Fiat’s small capacity 1.0-litre engines mated to a four-speed manual transmission and had a lovely exterior. It was the premium choice of picking for many wealthy owners and continues to be a car you would not want to miss for a heartbeat.
Nevertheless, the Uno went toe-to-toe with the Maruti 800 and had the looks and nimble performance to stake a claim. It was on sale for six years and still being perceived as one of the best models ever to come out of Fiat’s stable in India.
It had a production run of 56 years from 1958 to 2014 and the branding rights were sold to PSA Group last year, prompting a revival in the near future. The Ambassador’s timeless curves from the Morris Oxford series stayed through its different generations and it etched an unassailable place in the history of Indian automotive industry.
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