Hindustan Contessa
Encyclopedia
The Hindustan Contessa was a model of car
manufactured by Hindustan Motors
(HM) of India
. It was based on the GM
Vauxhall Victor VX that was made till 1979. When introduced in 1983, it was one of the few Indian manufactured luxury cars in the market. A noteworthy competitor was the Standard 2000 that was based on the Rover SD1. It was a popular choice amongst government officials. Contessa production ended in 2002.
By the late 1970s, HM was ready to introduce a more modern car in the Indian market after producing the age old Ambassador for 3 decades. They were successful in acquiring the production tooling and technology of the Vauxhall Victor that was phased out in the UK in 1979. The production line was setup alongside the Ambassador at Uttarpara near Kolkata and the first cars were ready by 1982.
To keep the costs under check, HM Contessa was introduced to the Indian market with the 1.5L BMC B-Series engine
that powers the Ambassador
in a slightly modified form along with the Hindustan 4-speed gearbox. The press was upbeat about the roomy interior and plush ride, but was critical about the grossly underpowered engine and equally primitive gearbox. In a matter of months, Hindustan tied-up with Isuzu
of Japan and started manufacturing the 1.8L 4ZB1 petrol engine and matching 5-speed gearbox to install in the Contessa. The new car was called the Contessa Classic with distinctive 1.8L badging on the trunk and fenders. The car was an instant success and set a new standard for refinement, power and luxury in the Indian market. The BMC engined model was phased out in short order.
Even though the Contessa was based on a 1970s Vauxhall Victor, the interior was surprisingly quiet and the seats were extremely comfortable for the passengers. It is to be noted that it was the second Indian made car to sport fully independent suspension after Standard Herald. The basic design of Contessa has remained the same throughout its life, though HM made minor updates throughout the life of the model. Numerous features like fuel injection, power windows, power steering, fat bumpers, upgraded headlights, air conditioning etc. were introduced in phases to keep the car appealing to the premium customer.
In the 1990s, Hindustan started manufacturing the Isuzu 4FC1 2.0L diesel engine that came to power the Contessa Diesel. It was an instant success as well. A turbodiesel version was also introduced a few years later.
However, after the advent of more modern cars from GM, Ford, Fiat, Tata etc. , the demand for the Contessa began to wane. Maruti Suzuki has grabbed the lion's share of the market and the intese competition between the new auto manufacturers brought modern fuel efficient cars to the Indian marketplace in the late 1990s. The constant rise of petrol prices was the final nail in the coffin for the Contessa. It was phased out in 2002. Towards the end of production, there were three versions of this car; 1.8GLX (Isuzu petrol), 2.0DLX (Isuzu diesel) and 2.0T (Isuzu turbodiesel).
There are a handful of enthusiasts that maintain Contessas in original condition. To them, only Contessa can be hailed as a true "Indian Muscle Car" owing to its RWD platform and edgy styling that is reminiscent of American Muscle cars
of the 1960s and 70s. Many Contessas were scrapped due to unavailability of spares and so the surviving cars have begun to fetch healthy prices nowadays. It sure is destined to become a collectible classic in the future.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured by Hindustan Motors
Hindustan Motors
Hindustan Motors is an automobile manufacturer from India. It is part of the Birla Technical Services industrial group. The company was the largest car manufacturer in India before the rise of Maruti Udyog....
(HM) of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was based on the GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Vauxhall Victor VX that was made till 1979. When introduced in 1983, it was one of the few Indian manufactured luxury cars in the market. A noteworthy competitor was the Standard 2000 that was based on the Rover SD1. It was a popular choice amongst government officials. Contessa production ended in 2002.
By the late 1970s, HM was ready to introduce a more modern car in the Indian market after producing the age old Ambassador for 3 decades. They were successful in acquiring the production tooling and technology of the Vauxhall Victor that was phased out in the UK in 1979. The production line was setup alongside the Ambassador at Uttarpara near Kolkata and the first cars were ready by 1982.
To keep the costs under check, HM Contessa was introduced to the Indian market with the 1.5L BMC B-Series engine
BMC B-Series engine
The BMC B-series was a straight-4 internal combustion engine family, mostly used in motor cars, created by British company Austin Motor Company. The pre-cursor of the "B" series engine was a 1200 cc OHV engine which was used in the 1947 Austin A40 Devon. This A40 Devon engine was based on a...
that powers the Ambassador
Hindustan Ambassador
The Hindustan Ambassador is a car manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India. It has been in production since 1958 with few modifications or changes and is based on the Morris Oxford III model, first made by the Morris Motor Company at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959.Despite...
in a slightly modified form along with the Hindustan 4-speed gearbox. The press was upbeat about the roomy interior and plush ride, but was critical about the grossly underpowered engine and equally primitive gearbox. In a matter of months, Hindustan tied-up with Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
of Japan and started manufacturing the 1.8L 4ZB1 petrol engine and matching 5-speed gearbox to install in the Contessa. The new car was called the Contessa Classic with distinctive 1.8L badging on the trunk and fenders. The car was an instant success and set a new standard for refinement, power and luxury in the Indian market. The BMC engined model was phased out in short order.
Even though the Contessa was based on a 1970s Vauxhall Victor, the interior was surprisingly quiet and the seats were extremely comfortable for the passengers. It is to be noted that it was the second Indian made car to sport fully independent suspension after Standard Herald. The basic design of Contessa has remained the same throughout its life, though HM made minor updates throughout the life of the model. Numerous features like fuel injection, power windows, power steering, fat bumpers, upgraded headlights, air conditioning etc. were introduced in phases to keep the car appealing to the premium customer.
In the 1990s, Hindustan started manufacturing the Isuzu 4FC1 2.0L diesel engine that came to power the Contessa Diesel. It was an instant success as well. A turbodiesel version was also introduced a few years later.
However, after the advent of more modern cars from GM, Ford, Fiat, Tata etc. , the demand for the Contessa began to wane. Maruti Suzuki has grabbed the lion's share of the market and the intese competition between the new auto manufacturers brought modern fuel efficient cars to the Indian marketplace in the late 1990s. The constant rise of petrol prices was the final nail in the coffin for the Contessa. It was phased out in 2002. Towards the end of production, there were three versions of this car; 1.8GLX (Isuzu petrol), 2.0DLX (Isuzu diesel) and 2.0T (Isuzu turbodiesel).
There are a handful of enthusiasts that maintain Contessas in original condition. To them, only Contessa can be hailed as a true "Indian Muscle Car" owing to its RWD platform and edgy styling that is reminiscent of American Muscle cars
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
of the 1960s and 70s. Many Contessas were scrapped due to unavailability of spares and so the surviving cars have begun to fetch healthy prices nowadays. It sure is destined to become a collectible classic in the future.
Engine (1800 Isuzu)
- Type- MPFI with 4 Cylinder OHC;
- Fuel- petrol;
- Capacity- 1817CC;
- Bore / Stroke- 84/ 82 mm;
- Compression Ratio; 8.5 : 1;
- Max. Power- 75 HP at 5000 r.p.m.;
- Max. Torque- 13.8 Kgm at 3000 r.p.m;
- Cooling- Water cooled;
Transmission
- Clutch Type- Dry Disc;
- Diameter- 215mm;
- Gear Box- All synchromesh ; 5 speed gearbox ; including overdrive;
- Gear Ratios-
- 1st - 3.737:1;
- 2nd - 1.963:1;
- 3rd - 1.364:1;
- 4th - 1.000:1;
- 5th - 0.776:1;
- Reverse - 3.402:1;
Suspension
Suspension was the major cause of concern in this car. The soft rear Suspension despite giving a good ride had a problem of bottoming out on sharp bumps. The multi-link set up was highly prone for misalignment and changing the suspension arms is still a headache for mechanics.Brakes
This is the first Indian made vehicle to have vacuum assisted disc brakes- Type Hydraulic, dash mounted, tandem master cylinder with Servo assisted front disc 228.6 mm dia, drums on rear wheels.;
- Parking - Rear wheels.;