Hindustan Contessa: Closer look at a neat, 32-year-old sedan [Video]

Hindustan Motors is one of the oldest car manufacturing companies in India. They are known for the Ambassador sedans, which became popular among civilians, politicians, and even senior government officials. An Ambassador sedan was often seen as a status symbol. In addition to the Ambassador, Hindustan Motors also had the Contessa sedan. It was considered much more premium, and many affluent families bought this car during that time. It is often called a muscle car due to its design; however, we would like to correct that the Contessa was never a muscle car. It was a regular four-door sedan with a boxy design. Here we have a video where a 32-year-old Contessa has been restored and maintained in pristine condition.

The video has been uploaded by xxxx on their YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger does a walk-around of a 1991 model Hindustan Contessa Classic sedan that has been neatly customized by its owner. The vlogger starts by talking about the changes on the outside. The dual-barrel halogen headlamps and front grille have all been redone. The vlogger also talks about the chrome bumper, mentioning that the owner had to arrange it separately and make some changes to fit it. There are auxiliary lamps below the bumper, and it also gets aftermarket turn indicators too.

Moving to the bonnet, the car has muscular, sharp lines that accentuate the front look. The side profile of the car looks clean as well. The entire car has been repainted in a grey or silver shade, giving it a retro muscle car look. The side profile of the car also reveals the new set of wheels. The stock 13-inch units were replaced with 14-inch units from the Mahindra Xylo, and the lug nuts are from a Toyota Innova.

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At the rear, the original Contessa badging and Hindustan Motors branding on the boot have been retained. Just like the front, the rear bumper also gets chrome. The ORVM on this Contessa has been replaced with an aftermarket retro-looking unit. The vlogger mentions that the engine in this Contessa is the 1.8-liter Isuzu petrol unit, which generates around 75 Bhp. However, the owner has installed a valvetronic exhaust for a sportier note. The car looks extremely good from the outside. The video then shows what the cabin in this car looks like.

He was actually surprised to see a clean yet stock-looking cabin. The car does have a working AC, and the original dashboard has been restored. The two-spoke steering wheel can be seen with horn pads on both ends. The center console and gear lever all look the same. The seats, however, have been redone. The vlogger can be heard saying in the video that the interior feels a lot more familiar to him, as he used to sit in Ambassadors and Contessas a lot as a kid. The door pads and window winders are all redone. The owner mentions that this is a 1991 model Contessa, and he has had this car with him since 2011. This is definitely one of the cleanest-looking restoration works that we have seen on a Contessa lately.

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