[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by harit

Pioneering effort indeed! I would call this an adaption. The guys who made passenger Wwagons out of Mahindra Jeeps were more pioneering and built something that was used by millions, rather than this adaption.

My feelings exactly, after seeing the picture. Its quite disappointing for something that finds mention in several places as the first attempt at a locally produced car. It is a copy of an adaptation. SAD.

[esteem_lover]

Looks like an Amby with its mouth pushed in. Wonder what engine it carried !

[darklord]

Originally Posted by harit

There are no aeronautical influences in the car as one could expect from an aviation company like Voisin, Farman.

I agree with you. We have to compare this to the first car produced by SAAB. Quoting wikipedia:

"In 1944, Project 92 began, with the goal of creating the first Saab passenger car. Five years later, the Saab 92 began production. The design highlighted the company’s roots in aviation. Notably, the car’s drag coefficient of 0.30 was the lowest of any production car at the time."

Pics:




We all know where SAAB cars went from there.

Originally Posted by harit

Why was it not developed further and put in production?

Regarding the Probably one of the reasons why the HAL car was not given the time or energy it needed might be because of this: From wiki:

"The Hindustan Aeronautics HF-24 Marut (Sanskrit: "Spirit of the Tempest") was an Indian fighter-bomber aircraft of the 1960s. It was India's first jet aircraft, first flying on 17 June 1961."



Probably HAL and our government were too busy trying to get this into production and had little patience to pursue something mundane as a car. Also, remember, the car's prototype was unveiled in 1964, according to the picture. Now in 1965, we went to war with Pakistan. In all probabilities, this car project might have been put in the backburner and forgotten over time.

I am not contradicting you theory, just putting mine across.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

I was talking only with regards to the Bonnet. As no other indian car of the time had that ridge in the centre.

As karl said, your phiats (ie. delight onwards) had it all the time.

Plus the Herald bonnet ridge was much flatter and broader, and stopping much before the edge of the bonnet:

[hillram]

I never knew HAL made a car..this is problablty ike how Vesap attempted to make a car and succeded only in making one model and never after that.

[harit]

Just a thought. You could compare the HAL car to the Amby just like the Rhino to the Qualis..

This is as crude as the original Maruti before Suzuki came in.

Good Night Mumbai std time

[nickatnite]

This car is another testimony to the absolute lack of design aesthetics and sensibilities among the stodgy Indian middle class.Now i understand why the D'Zire and the redesigned Zen are so popular!!

[darklord]

Found this info in a website. I know there will be a thousand stones and at least one sword hurled at me even for suggesting this, let alone posting this. But just could not resist the "conspiracy theory" angle.

"More than seventy years ago, Rolls Royce Motors introduced its first Aero-engine to India. In the year 1956, the company made a tie-up with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore, as an authorized license partnership."
Rolls Royce Cars,Rolls Royce Car Models


Wonder if help was extended for things other than Aero engine. I wish I could strip the car of it's shell and find what is underneath it.


@harit and nickatnite,

Have a heart guys. You are comparing 90s/00s cars to an one off car prototype designed arguably for the first time in our country way back in 1960s, half a century ago. We are judging a car, by a single photograph, without any info on what is underneath the shell or how the interiors looked or what the features were.

For all we know, it would have been powered by an 180 bhp 5L V8 hemi.

[TractionAvant]

Originally Posted by darklord

@harit and nickatnite,

Have a heart guys. You are comparing 90s/00s cars to an one off car prototype designed arguably for the first time in our country way back in 1960s, half a century ago. We are judging a car, by a single photograph, without any info on what is underneath the shell or how the interiors looked or what the features were.

For all we know, it would have been powered by an 180 bhp 5L V8 hemi.

There is no harm in calling a spade a spade....... while i appreciate the effort, the result is unimaginative & hideous..........


This, on the other hand, must rank as one of their better efforts......




Aditya

[boeuff]

I was talking to an old gentleman that worked in HAL from the 60s. He mentioned that the body of the car was made of composites.
The car was used within the factory and never on public roads.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by boeuff

I was talking to an old gentleman that worked in HAL from the 60s. He mentioned that the body of the car was made of composites.
The car was used within the factory and never on public roads.

Can you ask him what eventually happened to it? Does it languish somewhere in a desolate stockyard

[siddartha]

Originally Posted by nickatnite

This car is another testimony to the absolute lack of design aesthetics and sensibilities among the stodgy Indian middle class.Now i understand why the D'Zire and the redesigned Zen are so popular!!

are you a NRI?

[Cyrus43]

Originally Posted by siddartha

are you a NRI?

What does being an NRI have to do with Anything here?? Shyam, Thanks for the Clarification regarding the bonet ridge.

[siddartha]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

What does being an NRI have to do with Anything here?? Shyam, Thanks for the Clarification regarding the bonet ridge.

nothing really, the contempt in that statement just made me curious .

[HorsPwr]

@mods: Please move as deemed appropriate to Vintage and Classic Cars section

This is an absolutely new information for me. HAL - as the name suggests it used to manufacture parts for the airplanes, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a bus and a car manufactured by HAL in the 50s and 60s. The more distinguished petrolheads will have further information on this. Do share.

Here are the pictures