Dev Anand driving Premier Padmini in Mumbai: Blast from the past [Video]
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Those who have loved old and retro Hindi films know how enigmatic and charming Dev Anand was. The iconic Bollywood actor, who was at his prime in the ‘50s and ‘60s, is known as one of the most handsome and terrific actors in the history of Indian cinema. He was also one of the first Bollywood actors to own a car, with his car collection including the very famous Premier Padmini, once upon a time. We recently came across a YouTube video in which Dev Anand is seen driving his old Premier Padmini on the roads of Mumbai.
The YouTube video, uploaded by “WildFilmsIndia,” shows Dev Anand driving his green-colored Premier Padmini on the streets of Mumbai. The video begins with Dev Anand driving the car out of his home and continues with him driving the car in his iconic “one shoulder down” style, which was also visible in his acting. The video concludes with Dev Anand parking the car back at the same place from where he started.
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In the video, the green-colored Premier Padmini driven by Dev Anand appears to be in pristine condition, with its paint and the shine of its chrome parts still intact. Dev Anand was one of the first cinema actors in India to own a Premier Padmini, which was once a hot favorite among Bollywood personalities. The car was owned by several personalities from the Indian film industry, including Rajesh Khanna, Rajnikanth, Mammootty, and Aamir Khan.
Named after a 14th-century princess from Rajasthan, the Premier Padmini is originally a rebadged Fiat 1100 D, the third-generation version of the iconic Fiat 1100 four-door sedan from a bygone era. It was first introduced in India in 1964 and was initially marketed as Premier President by Mumbai-based Premier Automobiles Ltd. (PAL). The car acquired the name “Padmini” in one of the updates it received in 1972, which continued until its discontinuation in India in 2000.
The original Premier Padmini was manufactured at Premier Automobile’s plant in Kurla, Mumbai, and was launched in India with a 1,089cc four-cylinder petrol engine. Equipped with a 4-speed manual gearbox as standard, this engine produced 47 bhp of maximum power and 71 Nm of maximum torque, enabling the car to achieve a top speed of 140 km/h.
To enhance its fuel efficiency, Premier introduced a new carburetor to this engine in the early 1980s, which reduced the power output to 42 bhp. It was during this time that the car began to be offered with comfort features like courtesy lights and air conditioning. A diesel version of the car called the 137D was also introduced in the later stages.
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