[funkykar]

Question is, did Premier at any point release such an edition?

If yes, what were the add-on's or features to call is special?

[funkykar]

I have an idea of buying a 118NE engine + gearbox. Whats a good price to buy from scrap if in pretty good condition?

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - Premier Padmini "Special" was released in 1977 in two tone colour, pale lilac (pure white) with tartar red top and fawn biege with arctic white top. The second colour was painted outside the paint shop. The "Premier" and "Padmini" logos were moved from the right side of the number plate to the left side and "Special" or "Deluxe BE / Deluxe" logos were fitted on the right side. Except for these changes, there is no difference. I worked as a trainee there and made these changes myself in 1977, so I know.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - Premier Padmini "Special" was released in 1977 in two tone colour, pale lilac (pure white) with tartar red top and fawn biege with arctic white top. The second colour was painted outside the paint shop.

Here is a pic. of what appears to be one such padmini in the first colour combo you mention, driven by Sridevi in an old tamil film "guru" (around 1980):



BTW, anyone know when the padmini with the black plastic "honeycomb" front grille came out?

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - Premier Padmini "Special" was released in 1977 in two tone colour, pale lilac (pure white) with tartar red top and fawn biege with arctic white top. The second colour was painted outside the paint shop. The "Premier" and "Padmini" logos were moved from the right side of the number plate to the left side and "Special" or "Deluxe BE / Deluxe" logos were fitted on the right side. Except for these changes, there is no difference. I worked as a trainee there and made these changes myself in 1977, so I know.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Wow! Great to know. We were thinking the owner made himself a SPECIAL monogram and stuck it to his car. Sad to see that the owner hasn't kept up with the original color scheme and has re-painted

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by funkykar

Saw this Padmini at my garage. It says Special. What is so special about it?

Originally Posted by arun1100

May be it was a limited edition Special Padmini, delivered only to him.

Originally Posted by funkykar

Question is, did Premier at any point release such an edition?

If yes, what were the add-on's or features to call is special?

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - Premier Padmini "Special" was released in 1977 in two tone colour, pale lilac (pure white) with tartar red top and fawn biege with arctic white top. The second colour was painted outside the paint shop. The "Premier" and "Padmini" logos were moved from the right side of the number plate to the left side and "Special" or "Deluxe BE / Deluxe" logos were fitted on the right side. Except for these changes, there is no difference. I worked as a trainee there and made these changes myself in 1977, so I know.

Originally Posted by Stanher

Here is a pic. of what appears to be one such padmini in the first colour combo you mention, driven by Sridevi in an old tamil film "guru" (around 1980)

Originally Posted by funkykar

Wow! Great to know. We were thinking the owner made himself a SPECIAL monogram and stuck it to his car. Sad to see that the owner hasn't kept up with the original color scheme and has re-painted

Incidentally I bought a superb 1978 example earlier this year. It even sports a very cool period AC fitted when new.

1978 Premier Padmini - karlosdeville's Photo Gallery - Team-BHP

The SPECIAL badge is stored safely at home, to be fitted when painted.

[arun1100]

Today Karthik Makam and me had a chat with Mr. Ron from US of A. He is a ardent Fiat lover. He owns 1100D, an 1100TV Transformabile, a 1200TV Transformabile, and several 1200 and 1500 cabriolets.

He contacted us after seeing our Club's Website.

Hi Karthik and Arun!

I live in California, like Italian cars, and collect them for fun. While I've worked building race cars and race engines, and while I still work on machines when I can, I've taken a job in the silicon valley designing cell phones. I've got a BSEE, and while I like to work with my hands, I've found that working with my head pays much better!

There are several good vintage races here, and I go to them when I can. These photos were taken at the Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca this year. The Fiat 1100 powered Formula Junior cars and the Fiat 1100 based cars such as the Cisitalias, Stanguellinis, Volpinis, Siatas, etc. are all highly regarded here.

Unfortunately, Fiat's production cars have generally not been so highly regarded.
Most Californians considered Fiats to be "throw away cars." People simply threw old Fiats away once they were a few years old!

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I love the old girls, nice to look at, easy to work on, great fun to drive, so I snapped them up whenever I could. I've got an 1100D, an 1100TV Transformabile, a 1200TV Transformabile, and several 1200 and 1500 cabriolets. I've got other cars, too, Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Lancias, and Jaguars, but Fiats were my first love.

I've attached a few photos of some Fiat 1100 engined Formula Junior cars. The rear engined Stanguellini is clearly the most advanced design, but I think most people prefer the older front engine cars! The front engine cars used the Fiat 1100 engine, 1100 drum brakes, front suspension arms, and the 1100's 4-speed transmission, though with a floor shift adaptor and a close ratio gear set. Some of the cars use Fiat Topolino front spindles though some use the 1100 ones. Many of the cars used narrowed 1100 rear axles, too. By the time Stanguellini built the rear engined car you see here, there wasn't much Fiat 1100 left! You can still make out the Fiat engine though.

The Cisitalia D46 wasn't a Formula Junior, of course, and it used the earlier Fiat 1100's 5-port engine. I think Fiat phased these out around 1956 or so? This car was designed by Fiat's engineer Dante Giacosa, and would have been built sometime in the 1940's. It's a pretty interesting machine!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy seeing the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

RON

Volpini enginel


Volpini front


Volpini Suspension










Stanguellini cockpit


Stanguellini engine


Cisitalia D46 front


Cisitalia D46 engine

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - this is really WOW! Now you know what our 1100 cc engine can do. If I am not mistaken, these are twin choke Weber DCOEs. The last picture is most interesting. You can see the camshaft sensor on the timing cover and an electronic ignition module in place of the distributor. It has two single choke webers. You can also see the same suspension arms that we use. The stub axles are obviously fabricated units.

This reminds me of MRF4705, in which we had installed 4 Solex carburettors for the track race. MRF4705 was a 1970 model fiat 1100D which was the first prize in the WIAA national rally which started from Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai and ended in Nagpur. It belonged to Mr.Darayus Bhathena, a very senior rallyist and our Guru. I vaguely remember myself as a 13 year old kid standing in the Matunga Gymkhana grounds in Mumbai in 1970, watching the flag off. Wish I had photographs.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - this is really WOW! Now you know what our 1100 cc engine can do.

Yes sir, these are indeed superb pictures and a good example for anyone who did not know about the 1100's capability. The pictures talk themselves.

We have also requested him to send us some pictures of his very own Fiats.

[arun1100]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - this is really WOW! Now you know what our 1100 cc engine can do.
Best regards,
Behram Dhabhar

Behram Sir, What is your future plans with Fiats? I mean are you planning to modify a car in the lines of MRF4705 or something more better.

I think you are the only one capable of modifying a 1100 engine to such extents.

think of one such project in the near future. It will show a new way ahead for all we Fiat lovers here.

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by arun1100

Behram Sir, What is your future plans with Fiats? I mean are you planning to modify a car in the lines of MRF4705 or something more better.

I think you are the only one capable of modifying a 1100 engine to such extents.

think of one such project in the near future. It will show a new way ahead for all we Fiat lovers here.

Whoa!! Exciting idea!

Who better than Behram sir can do it?

[arun1100]

Some more pics of the engine. Mr. Ron says they are blown up engines.

[SuperSelect]

WOW, this is awesome stuff. Let's do some of this in India - our very own Monster 1100 !

[dhrishikesh]

That car is a true monster.
@ Ravi,
I think India has already have its own monster, Fiat 1100D with a turbocharged 1.8L Contessa petrol engine, owned by our fellow tbhpian Fiaturbo.
That car is just a rocket, beating Skoda in Speed Run last year.

[arun1100]

Originally Posted by dhrishikesh

That car is a true monster.
@ Ravi,
I think India has already have its own monster, Fiat 1100D with a turbocharged 1.8L Contessa petrol engine, owned by our fellow tbhpian Fiaturbo.
That car is just a rocket, beating Skoda in Speed Run last year.

We would prefer a Fiat engine instead and a neat Fiat body.

A Fiat with a Contessa engine He could have bought a Contessa itself.

Altering the body of a Fiat just for the sake of looks is a sick thing to do.

I feel a Fiat 1100 with some other engine and body altered, cannot be called as a Fiat!!
Period.