Premier Padmini: the Fiat 1100 that became Mumbai’s black-and-yellow taxi

The Premier Padmini was a four-seat saloon manufactured in India from 1964 to 2001 by Premier Automobiles Limited, a division of the Walchand Group, under licence from Fiat. It was sold at first as the Fiat 1100 Delight and from 1974 as the Premier Padmini, and for two decades it was one of the most popular cars in the country.

Premier Padmini at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Premier Padmini.

History of the Premier Padmini

A Fiat built in Bombay

The car began as the Fiat 1100D, a version of the Fiat 1200 GranLuce Berlina adapted for India. It debuted in 1964 with a carburetted 1,089 cc four-cylinder petrol engine rather than the 1,221 cc unit used in Italy, and with a 10.8:1 compression ratio it produced 47 bhp at 4,800 rpm and 71 N·m of torque at 3,000 rpm. The original transmission was a four-speed manual without synchronised first gear, driving the rear wheels through a live axle; the gearchange was mounted on the left of the steering column. The car weighed 895 kg and reached 140 km/h.

Premier built the Padmini at its Kurla plant in Bombay, now Mumbai, until it sold a majority stake to Fiat in September 1997. The licensed car was marketed initially as the Fiat 1100 Delight, for the 1973 model year as the Premier President and afterwards as the Premier Padmini. The name comes from a 14th-century Rajput princess, and the car was known colloquially as the Pad, or simply the Fiat.

The Padmini years

During the 1970s and 1980s the Padmini was immensely popular with young buyers, celebrities and women drivers. Next to the Hindustan Ambassador it looked more modern, was more economical and was considered very easy to drive. By the early 1980s engine power had been reduced to 42 bhp with a modified carburettor to improve fuel consumption, and Premier began to offer an air-conditioner, leather upholstery, courtesy lights and tinted glass — luxuries in Indian cars of the period.

The 1990s and the S1

From the mid-1980s newer and more economical cars from Maruti Suzuki eroded the Padmini’s position, and the liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, which let foreign makers into the country, accelerated its decline. In 1996 Premier tried to revive sales with the Padmini S1, which had a more modern radiator grille, bucket seats, a Nissan floor-change synchronised gearbox and a more powerful engine with a Solex carburettor and an electric fan, giving 48 bhp. A diesel variant, the 137D, followed, its 1,366 cc engine built under licence from Fratelli Negri Macchine Diesel Sud of Italy and rated at 45 bhp. Production ended because of Premier’s management problems.

Kaali Peeli

In the 2010s many Padminis still worked as taxis in Mumbai, where they were known as Kaali Peeli, black and yellow. Regulations introduced in 2013 banned vehicles more than 20 years old, and the last Premier Padmini taxis were taken off the streets of Mumbai on 30 October 2023.

Design and features

• Fiat 1100 under the skin: a 1,089 cc four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and a live rear axle.
• Left-hand column gearchange: the four-speed manual was operated by a lever on the left of the steering column.
• Comfort in a small car: from the early 1980s Premier offered air-conditioning, leather, courtesy lights and tinted glass.
• City taxi legend: the black-and-yellow Kaali Peeli was for decades part of the Mumbai street scene.
• Long life: built in the same plant for 37 years, from 1964 to 2001.

Premier Padmini versions

• Fiat 1100 Delight (1964–1973): the original licensed version; the 1100D had the 1,089 cc engine.
• Premier President (1973): the name used for the 1973 model year.
• Premier Padmini (from 1974): the familiar name, offered as the BE Deluxe and BU Deluxe.
• Padmini S1 (1996): new grille, bucket seats, Nissan floor gearchange and a 48 bhp engine.
• Padmini 137D: the 1,366 cc FNM diesel version, also sold as the 137D S1.
• Starline Safari: estate conversions by outside coachbuilders such as Starline.
• Premier President diesel: a diesel-engined variant listed alongside the petrol models.

The smaller Premier 118 came later and was based on another Fiat. More cars from the Indian maker are in the Premier collection.

Video: ABP News special: Bye-bye Premier Padmini taxi

Video by ABP NEWS on YouTube.

Sources

• Premier Padmini, English Wikipedia: history, engine data, versions, taxi era