'India's First Car' Was NOT The Hindustan Ambassador: It Was The Aravind Model 3, Made In Kerala [Video]
The Hindustan Ambassador has been a definitive model in the Indian automotive landscape. It was the first car to be commercially manufactured in India, and was based on the Morris Oxford Series III. The idea of India's first independently designed car, however, started brewing in 1955- well before the Ambassador's India entry. This gave birth to the Aravind Model 3- one of the most overlooked chapters in the country's automotive history. In a video shared on the channel Talking Cars, we get to have a closer look at the only surviving example of the company Aravind Automotives- the one-of-one Aravind Model 3.
The video starts by showing the presenters walking into a small garage, somewhere in Kochi, Kerala. As they open the door to the porch, we are greeted with the first look of the car. It looks huge and has massive road presence. The front design seems to have been influenced by the American sedans of the 1960s. Brass can be found in plenty. You can also see expert craftsmanship in most places.
This car has an extremely bold shoulder line. It protrudes out of the body line, and thus makes the design stand out. Much work has gone into designing and crafting these metal surfaces. The grille, in particular, looks spectacular, with great attention to detail. You'll see a keyhole at its centre. This is in fact, the locking mechanism for the bonnet release, as battery theft was common in its time. Like many models of its time, the roof has an extension at the front, which likely serves the purpose of a sun shade.
The hood and boot are both massive. Rain channels have been neatly integrated into the design. The front turn indicators were handcrafted, and are extremely thin. Interestingly, the Model 3's design had a good focus on aerodynamics for its time. The rear gets an integrated bumper. The tail lamps seem to have been replaced with different units.
This car was made in 1966, when very few models used to offer air conditioning. Imported cars like Buicks and Impalas used to offer AC as optional extras. 'Indian' cars like Ambassadors, Fiats, and Standard Heralds never offered it as standard.
Even the interior looks classy. The speedometer's top panel seems to have taken design inspiration from the Fords of 1950s, while the speedometer itself is from a 60s Fiat. There is even a small glove box offered, along with handcrafted panels and trims. Back in its day, the Aravind Model 3 came with a record player with a 3 vinyl changer. The changer, however seems to be missing now.
The original seats (which aren't the ones seen in the video) could be folded flat to make something like a bed! Remember seeing this in the Maruti Wagon R from 2000s?
The car seems to be in decent health for its age. You won't find much damage on most areas of the bodywork. Even the doors close well. These show how well-built it was. The tyres seem to have deflated due to long years of inactivity.
Under its hood, the original Aravind Model 3 had a heavily modified, Fiat-sourced 1100cc engine. It was reengineered with a different carburettor, air cleaner and some other components, for improved useability and performance.
Aravind Model 3: The History
Aaravind Model 3 was the brainchild of Kunnath Ayyath Balakrishna Menon (also known as K.A.B. Menon), a self-taught mechanic and entrepreneur from Kerala. His vision was to create a vehicle that was stylish, comfortable and affordable to the masses. He, in fact, wished to price the Model 3 at Rs 5,000, had it made it to production. He knew that such a pricing would make it appeal to the middle class.
However, Menon's plans to take the Aravind to production failed miserably, after the project got stuck in red tape. He was denied the industrial license which was required to set up factories and start production.