Hindustan Motors recently filed a trademark application for the Contessa brand name in India, thus sparking rumours about a relaunch seen
Soon after filing a trademark application for the Contessa brand name in India, Hindustan Motors has agreed to sell it to SG Corporate Mobility. While more details are still awaited related to the deal, it gives us enough evidence to conclude that Hindustan Motors Contessa might not make a comeback to the Indian market now. On the other hand, there are enough reports that suggest that Hindustan Motors might be working on the Ambassador that might be launched in the next few years. Here are all the details that we know so far.
As per the details available so far, the transfer of the HM Contessa brand to SG Corporate Mobility Pvt Ltd shall only be effective upon fulfilment of the terms and conditions as prescribed in the agreement. The Indian carmaker had earlier trademarked the Contessa name in early June 2022. The Contessa was supposed to be remade as an electric sedan. The Contessa first made its Indian debut in the 1980s and soon became a popular desi muscle car in India. The Contessa continued to be manufactured in India until 2002. Just like the Hindustan Ambassador, the Hindustan Motor Contessa too had a BMC B-Series engine. This 1.8L Petrol engine churned out a peak power and torque output of 74 hp and 130 Nm respectively. This engine was mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
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The Hindustan Contessa came with a boxy and bold design that gave it an iconic presence. The front fascia featured large headlamps on either end with a larger chrome grille in the centre. With an initial launch price of Rs 83,500 (ex-showroom), the HM Contessa was one of the most expensive cars in the older times. The car gave direct competition to the likes of the Fiat Padmini and other imported vehicles in the country. Furthermore, lots of chrome elements across the sides further make it more premium. For those who don’t know, the HM Contessa was one of the first sedans in India to be offered with optional tinted glasses from the factory. Inside, the Contessa offered an extremely spacious cabin and a low-set dashboard that offered a long list of buttons and control buttons. The seats too were extremely comfortable and an extremely sophisticated suspension setup was further made an extremely practical and suitable long-distance cruiser.
It is because of all these factors that the Indian buyers were extremely excited and were long waiting for the COntessa to make a comeback in the country. The brand was also said to be working on the Contessa electric sedan in India but after the latest deal, driving the OG HM Contessa once again might become a long-fetched dream for many. The brand is however working on the relaunch of the Ambassador along with the French automaker PSA Groupe. The two cars signed an agreement in February 2017 for Rs 80 crore. While SG Mobility might use the Contessa brand name for its new upcoming sedan in the next few years, we might not get the iconic sedan back in the marker.
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