[harit]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Here is another piece of Indian auto history forgotten. Apparently the Tatas were negotiating to manufacture a DKW.
From the book 'Horizons - the Tata India Century - 1904 2004' by Aman Nath & Jay Vithalani with Tulsi Vatsal.

This project was not "apparently", but was a fact. At that time DKW belonged to Mercedes-Benz, only later got pushed on to the Volkswagen-Audi combine, in steps.
This very car was later dismantled and lying either in Pune or Jamshedpur, I forget which. My friends father was working in Telco and told me about this. It was in the later 1960's. No guesses why this did not take off! Hindustan Motors was all powerful and kept thrusting crappy Ambys on us with deteriorating quality as time went past.

Cheers harit

[karlosdeville]

I recently found a 1966 issue of the Illustrated weekly of India, and came across this neat article on the Arvind car (mentioned earlier elsewhere on the forum, though I cannot recall where).

[wasif]

LOL what a monstrosity it appears to be

[glomus123]

@ karlosdeville.

Here it is,

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...k-history.html

It has a better picture of the same Aravind car.

With thanks and regards.

[karlosdeville]

An interesting link can be seen on a French site here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/2063550-post377.html

http://www.automania.be/fr/auto/hist...e-l-automobile

There is mention and pictures of some strange and very early prototypes like MORVI, RUSSA, SUPER - a must read.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I recently found a 1966 issue of the Illustrated weekly of India, and came across this neat article on the Arvind car.

Originally Posted by wasif

LOL what a monstrosity it appears to be

And I thought the Gazel was ugly! Hmm, incidentally, I wonder if this car later actually inspired...this:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1923077-post1116.html

[harit]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

An interesting link can be seen on a French site here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/2063550-post377.html

http://www.automania.be/fr/auto/hist...e-l-automobile

Very nice. At last a picture of the Gambler, a fresh design by Hindustan Motors sometime in the 1970's which was also displayed in the National Garage showroom in Mumbai.

Cheers harit

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by historyman

I've just added a brief history of the Fort Coach Factory to the Indian section of my Car History 4U - History of the Automobile, History of the Motor Car, Car Clubs & Car Museums web site.

Here is an article that appeared last week in the Parsi community newspaper Jam-E-Jamshed, showing a carriage on display built by Pestonji Press for the royal family of Bhavnagar.

[karlosdeville]

Here is a full artice that appreared in the Parsi community monthly magazine Parsiana, on the Fort Coach Factory.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I recently found a 1966 issue of the Illustrated weekly of India, and came across this neat article on the Arvind car (mentioned earlier elsewhere on the forum, though I cannot recall where).

THis car was based on a FIAT 1100 built by the owner of an automobile workshop named Aravind Automobiles, Trivandrum. Another similar car was also built by them which was used by the Maharaja of Travancore. THe picture of this car can be seen in the link you have posted above.

The son of the owner of Aravind Automobiles used to bring this car to the college at times then and the car was an attention grabber. The workshop resembled a British vintage garage and was located at the Power House Road very close to MG Road. Presently a textile show room functions in the place where the workshop stood once.

Another picture now untraceable is that of a Maruti made by the late Sanjay Gandhi. Two of those Marutis were displayed in the haryana pavilion at the Asia 72 exhibition. A feature on these cars with photographs appeared in the Debonair magazine around then and I had a copy until some years ago but I missed them over time. That would be fine collectible ones.

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

THis car was based on a FIAT 1100 built by the owner of an automobile workshop named Aravind Automobiles, Trivandrum. Another similar car was also built by them which was used by the Maharaja of Travancore. THe picture of this car can be seen in the link you have posted above.

The son of the owner of Aravind Automobiles used to bring this car to the college at times then and the car was an attention grabber. The workshop resembled a British vintage garage and was located at the Power House Road very close to MG Road. Presently a textile show room functions in the place where the workshop stood once.

Another picture now untraceable is that of a Maruti made by the late Sanjay Gandhi. Two of those Marutis were displayed in the haryana pavilion at the Asia 72 exhibition. A feature on these cars with photographs appeared in the Debonair magazine around then and I had a copy until some years ago but I missed them over time. That would be fine collectible ones.

The photos of that prototype car was published in AUTO INDIA in 2009 or so

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by ajay99

The photos of that prototype car was published in AUTO INDIA in 2009 or so

Wasn't it the NSU that Sanjay Gandhi tried to get into India then?

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by ajay99

The photos of that prototype car was published in AUTO INDIA in 2009 or so

Hope some member would post pictures.

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Wasn't it the NSU that Sanjay Gandhi tried to get into India then?

Sanjay had three cars.

[travancore]

Here are two pictures of the original Maruti, courtest automobileplanet and the Web:
These I think were posted before.

[harit]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

....Another picture now untraceable is that of a Maruti made by the late Sanjay Gandhi. Two of those Marutis were displayed in the haryana pavilion at the Asia 72 exhibition.....

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Wasn't it the NSU that Sanjay Gandhi tried to get into India then?

What I remember was that Sanjay could not get his vehicles to run properly, and so he had imported BMW boxer engines to be fitted on three or so cars. God knows what engine he planned to fit.
I have myself seen two of these cars, one on the road in Bangalore, another in a factory where they were to use the car to make fixtures for production. That factory was in Pune.
Finally the idea of this car was junked (how apt for that car) and Maruti was nationalised and tied up with Suzuki.

Cheers harit