Intro: The first Premier automobile was introduced in 1955. So far the most succesful type is the Padmini, a badge-engineered Fiat 1100-103 4-door saloon which was in production 'til the late 1990s! It was joined in 1985 by the 118 NE which combined the body shell of the Fiat 124 with a Nissan engine.
The 1990s hit the company hard. Its joint venture with Peugeot to assemble the 309 has failed, the planned introduction of the Fiat Uno tailored to local conditions was delayed. Deliveries finally began in 1996 but customer complaints almost drowned the venture.
After liquidity problems were sorted out, Padmini production restarted in year 2000 and a separate company established with the co-operation of Fiat Italy began assembling the Uno and Siena models.
For a few years Premier Automobile Ltd looked dormant but in June, 2004 it made headlines again. Back in 2001 they made a technical agreement with China Motor Corp., the Taiwanese assembly plant of Mitsubishi. China Motor is known for its aggresive expansion policy. Indian assembly of the Varica minivan, which was originally scheduled to commence in 2002 has finally started in June, 2004 and the car went on sale in November, 2004.
Currently CKD kits are imported from Taiwan and locally produced, Hindustan-made engines are being installed.
Photos are courtesy of Autocar India. |
