3-Wheeler taxi

[Ram]

Originally Posted by salilpawar1

The first vehicle is the Tempo Hanseat. It was a German vehicle manufactured by Bajaj Tempo (now Force Motors). It was the first vehicle manufactured by Bajaj Tempo.

The Bajaj-Tempo Hanseat, was produced at Akurdi, Pune under license from Vidal und Sohn Tempo Werke of Germany from 1959 until 2000.

Until 1978, it was powered by a 400 cc 2-cylinder 2-stroke Heinkel petrol engine that put out 14 bhp.
The engine had a characteristic baritone buzz that throbbed in amplitude 3-4 times every second.
Interestingly, the engine sat over the solitary front wheel and drove it with a chain-drive!

After 1978, the power plant was a single-cylinder 500 cc Lombardini diesel, that put out a reluctant 9 bhp. Used as an economical taxi in rural MP, they have a soft top and are locally called Bhatsuars (भटसुअर). Wonder how the engine transports numerically more people than the BHP it has!

Recently saw a Hanseat with a pick-up bed in Kolkata.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by venkatrx

Mpower you are right, i found this photo on the web http://www.3wheelers.com/badal.html

This is exactly what i remember seeing in Bangalore long long ago....



These taxis ran on a 198 cc itseems !!!

Mpower and venkatrx, you got it right about the Sunrise Badal.

The British manufacturer Reliant, helped Mr. SRK Sipani set up a company in Bangalore called Sunrise Automotive Industries Ltd. (SAIL) in 1974.

Based on Reliant’s 3 wheeled Robin, the fibre-glass bodied Badal, was produced from 1975 to 1980, the years I was in engineering college. I have traveled in Badal taxis in Pune, Bangalore and Mangalore. In 1978, the company changed its name to Sipani motors.


Here's a Reliant Robin. A cult car in the UK and Austria, there's even a Reliant Robin club in the US! As late as autumn 2002, a British plastics manufacturer called B & N Plastics, used to manufacture the Robin.






The Sunrise Badal had a rear mounted 198cc single cylinder 2-stroke engine of Italian manufacture with a 4 speed constant-mesh gearbox. Brakes were on the real wheels only. The four passenger body had 3 doors, two for the front seats and one for the rear, on the kerbside.

In 1981, Sipani replaced the Badal with the four-wheeled Dolphin, based on the Reliant Kitten.



What happened to Sipani later?
Like the Badal before it, the Dolphin also had a two-door light fibre-glass body and its 848 cc engine gave spirited performance on 10-inch “soup plate” British Leyland Mini-like wheels.

When the (old style) Maruti 800 arrived in 1983, Sipani made a 4-door version of the Dolphin called the Montana.

In 1985 SRK’s son Dinesh launched a sales & distribution co. called Dolphin Motors Ltd.

The company then replaced their Montana with the diesel-engined Sipani D1. This was based on the Daihatsu Charade. It used Maruti and Mahindra parts and a Mitsubishi diesel made in Coimbatore.


They even made a rural 8-12 seater MUV called Arjun, powered by a 500cc Greaves diesel. Then, in the late 1990s, Sipani built and sold the Rover Montego saloon and estate in India.

After this venture also failed, they changed their name again to Maestro Motors Ltd. Sadly, by summer 2000, they went bankrupt and shut down.

The company had the dubious distinction, that every model they produced over a 25-year period was a failure!

#Postscript
The Reliant Robin holds the distinction of being the world's first mass-produced vehicle with a fibreglass body in the 1950s, beating the Chevrolet Corvette that debuted in 1953.

[BuRnT RuBbEr]

Originally Posted by ram

After 1978, the power plant was a single-cylinder 500 cc Lombardini diesel, that put out a reluctant 9 bhp. Used as an economical taxi in rural MP, they have a soft top and are locally called Bhatsuars (भटसुअर). Wonder how the engine transports numerically more people than the BHP it has!

it does not transport. it is made to. at equally reluctant speeds of 10-20 kph. these very vehicles were used to move around with wrought iron and stuff loaded. nice smoke and equally blinding acceleration/pick-up/top speed.

[vivekiny2k]

these tempos were used in my hometown jabalpur till 10 yrs back, they are still used in outskirts, they are banned in city limits though.

one thing i remember is they wud not stop emitting smoke ever, because if they did, somebody would have to open the bonnet, wrap a rope around it''s flywheel (or whetever), and pull it out to start it.

and they had a high affinity for accidents, despite the slow speed.

vikrams are definitely better and efficient version, alitle bigger than auto ricks, and pretty good people carriers in UP, MP etc. nothing to do with these tempos.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by ram

Based on Reliant’s 3 wheeled Robin, the fibre-glass bodied Badal, was produced from 1975 to 1980, the years I was in engineering college. I have traveled in Badal taxis in Pune, Bangalore and Mangalore. In 1978, the company changed its name to Sipani motors.

Wow! Fantastic information. Keep em coming Ram.............(Anantkamat where are you?)

Regarding the BADAL, there is an old wives tale in Bangalore about a Badal taxi catching fire and burning up spectacularly in a busy area. Since then, the government supposedly shut down the company. Fiberglass got a bad name since then.

[venkatrx]

Ram thanks for sharing your Gyan !!

Guys,
I wonder if anybody has any photos of

1. The road-train buses which was in bangalore until 1983 (I guess) they were in grey color.
2. Double decker buses with driver compartment was an independent unit.
3. Old cars called 'standard 20', 'gazel' or some thing like that.
4. Any other old photo collections of bangalore will be great.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by ram

It used Maruti and Mahindra parts and a Mitsubishi diesel made in Coimbatore.

Nice write up there, ram. The mitsubishi engine was made in Bangalore (or at least by a Bangalore based company) by VST Tillers who made and sold tillers and mini-tractors from Mitsubishi. Natty looking tractros, actually.

That company was based around KR Puram and you could see their factory when you came in by train from Jolarpettai (old Madras/Kerala route).

PS: ERROR - the diesel engine for the D1 came from Autoland (based somewhere in UP which had some link with Leyland and hence the name) while the engine for the Montana D1 came from VST Tractors and Tillers. Sipani subsequently took over Autoland, and that company died a natural death too. The Autoland diesels used to do duty on some retro-fitted ambassadors too - they were the smoothest diesels for the ambassador at that time, but highly underpowered for that car.

[IQBAL VEERJI]

Saw this Hanseat Bajaj in my native place Roopnagar in Punjab.
It was carrying some farmers and some locals in the front and rear plank was having schoolgirls as passangers along with a standing passanger. The girls were very comfortably sitting on the plank without any foam padded seats without any fuss,can our Mumbai girls do that. A big NOOOOO....

[powertwin]

Originally Posted by Ram

Mpower and venkatrx, you got it right about the Sunrise Badal.

The British manufacturer Reliant, helped Mr. SRK Sipani set up a company in Bangalore called Sunrise Automotive Industries Ltd. (SAIL) in 1974.

Based on Reliant’s 3 wheeled Robin, the fibre-glass bodied Badal, was produced from 1975 to 1980, the years I was in engineering college. I have traveled in Badal taxis in Pune, Bangalore and Mangalore. In 1978, the company changed its name to Sipani motors.


Here's a Reliant Robin. A cult car in the UK and Austria, there's even a Reliant Robin club in the US! As late as autumn 2002, a British plastics manufacturer called B & N Plastics, used to manufacture the Robin.






The Sunrise Badal had a rear mounted 198cc single cylinder 2-stroke engine of Italian manufacture with a 4 speed constant-mesh gearbox. Brakes were on the real wheels only. The four passenger body had 3 doors, two for the front seats and one for the rear, on the kerbside.

In 1981, Sipani replaced the Badal with the four-wheeled Dolphin, based on the Reliant Kitten.



What happened to Sipani later?
Like the Badal before it, the Dolphin also had a two-door light fibre-glass body and its 848 cc engine gave spirited performance on 10-inch “soup plate” British Leyland Mini-like wheels.

When the (old style) Maruti 800 arrived in 1983, Sipani made a 4-door version of the Dolphin called the Montana.

In 1985 SRK’s son Dinesh launched a sales & distribution co. called Dolphin Motors Ltd.

The company then replaced their Montana with the diesel-engined Sipani D1. This was based on the Daihatsu Charade. It used Maruti and Mahindra parts and a Mitsubishi diesel made in Coimbatore.


They even made a rural 8-12 seater MUV called Arjun, powered by a 500cc Greaves diesel. Then, in the late 1990s, Sipani built and sold the Rover Montego saloon and estate in India.

After this venture also failed, they changed their name again to Maestro Motors Ltd. Sadly, by summer 2000, they went bankrupt and shut down.

The company had the dubious distinction, that every model they produced over a 25-year period was a failure!

#Postscript
The Reliant Robin holds the distinction of being the world's first mass-produced vehicle with a fibreglass body in the 1950s, beating the Chevrolet Corvette that debuted in 1953.

Nice information Ram!!
but you told>>"The company had the dubious distinction, that every model they produced over a 25-year period was a failure!"
What ever may be,..at mid '70s , you would have been aware ..what was the Industries promotion policy from our both State & Central Governments, that to for a small players like SAIL
It is Really sad...that they couldn't hold the market, for long time, because of "in direct back door" punching by other Car manufacturers, with help of Government & Financial institutions (Banks)....b'coz this was the practice on those days.....even this was the reason for closure of the mighty " STANDARD MOTORS".......@ SM, it was always Tamil Nadu politicians, played the vital role in shutting the doors !!

If 'am not wrong, it was our present " Art of living' Maestro Ravi Shankar's close relative founded this company m/s Sunrise Automobiles Industries Ltd,...and brought this Three wheel car Badal, with a 200cc Innocenti Engine & 10" Lambro 's tuk- tuk tires
After some time i.e; some time early '80s, this SAIL was sold to Sipani group...hence " Sunrise" to " Sipani automobiles industries ltd, this Sipanai group went on to make Dolphin,.......& so on......
and the Engine whice was shared by MONTANA was m/s JAYA AUTOMOTIVES p ltd's/ Coimbatore. 1000cc diesel engine, even they had an idea to go for Autoland diesel engine...which was far superior & consistent , quality , but it didn't suit Sipani's pocket.
It is really sad, we are now searching internet to see a BADAL.......
Why to search??.......here is my Badal( 1978)


Badal's rear & the guy who was behind me in getting this Cutie!!

The 200cc Innocenti Engine ( air cooled) at the rear.>>

Starter Motor cum DYNAMO ( some thing like Siba -Dyna thing but not exactly)

Now at my garage......
The guy seen at driver's seat is our Pratap ( lockheed- Tbhp handle)

[Shreeram]

Originally Posted by powertwin

Why to search??.......here is my Badal( 1978)

WAOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just Superb. I am dying to lay hands on one of these for my Collection. Do let me know if you find any. Want to add it to my Sipani Collection.


Here is my 3 Wheeler - not a Taxi though.


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-w...-new-post.html

[priyo]

The first picture shows a Tempo with a body with long side seats.

The Tempo was first introduced in the 'India 58' exhibition in New Delhi . I was about 12-13 years and this exhibition was held at Pragati Maidan. Several of these Tempos were used , each hauling two trailers - carrying about 30 or so persons , were taken around the entire exhibition at a very leisurely pace, stopping at major pavilions. The striking feature was inward slanting rear wheels that became outward slanting with the overloading that is a common even today !This show was the forerunner of many exhibitions that following at the same venue. The Tempo was to become a workhorse on the Indian roads , having been renamed Bajaj Tempo and was seen in many variants later morphing into a four wheeler .

I remember PAL , HM, TATA, Standard among many others showing off their cars. A very light, pea green Thunderbird was shown at an slant angle and was a great hit ! So were Studebakers, Dodge, Plymouth and of course the Ambassador & Fiat.

I am sure many BHP friends remember that first big show. Of course the only one before was the Indian Railway 100 year exhibition, but that was at Ferozshah Kotla ground ! Any more nostalgic thoughts about those early years ?

[rajeev k]

The first one is the Hanseet three wheeler from erstwhile Bajaj Tempo Ltd, now Force Motors Ltd. It was available in goods as well as passenger versions.
The second could be based on the Reliant Robin on which the Sipani Badal was also based.

[shankarggp]

I like to share one of my Team Member added the SAIL - BADAL in his collection.

Luckily He got it this in mint and in Good running Condition .

[shankarggp]

Originally Posted by shankarggp

I like to share one of my Team Member added the SAIL - BADAL in his collection.

Luckily He got it this in mint and in Good running Condition .