It was the 1980s. The only two cars that were popular were the HM Ambassador and Premier Padmini. The Maruti 800 was a legend in the making and had just begun its path in the Indian market. For more info on that one, check out the blog post on https://mavcbr.com/update/maruti-800-indias-first-family-car/771582. Something in the luxury market was needed to appease the rich, who would have to make the effort to import luxury cars of brands like Mercedes or Range-Rover because India was not a globalized economy and there was negligible foreign competition, and the competition consisted of Indian brands that reverse-engineered cars from other foreign car companies, as I mentioned in the 800 blog post. Plus, that was the only option that HM had because the 800 had turned the Indian auto industry upside-down. It was just so practical, economical, light, and decades ahead of other cars, that people did not see the sense in buying gas-guzzlers like the HM Ambassador. HM was feeling the heat, quite literally! So, what did they do?
Thankfully, HM understood the plight of the rich and the high-profile government employee and already had a project underway. In 1984, this beautiful car, the HM Contessa, was introduced in our country. This was meant to be a premium option for the rich, and not an affordable one. Unlike the Ambassador outdated by almost three decades, the Contessa was only outdated by less than a decade! So, it was actually more modern!
Boomer jokes aside, the Contessa is still a legend. It still lives in the hearts of Indian enthusiasts. What makes it so special is that it’s design and its lines show that it was, and still is, India’s first and ONLY true muscle car, and by the way, it was REAR-WHEEL DRIVE! Yes, you heard me right! Not “American Muscle”, “Indian Muscle”! Vin Diesel will be proud!
But what I don’t like about it? What could be better? First of all, the lackluster build quality by HM because they did not give the car the love it deserved. Second, the engine. Instead of giving this true muscle car an American Chevy big-block V-8, they gave it a paltry, agricultural diesel (The Isuzu petrol was good though). But still, at least we have bragging rights for having our very own muscle car. Sadly, it’s not there anymore. It lies lazily in the second-hand market, a symbol of untapped potential, that can reach new heights if embraced. You can still buy one used, and modify it, and slap a big-block V-8 in there to make it the true muscle car that it’s meant to be. So, if you have something cool, something rad, will you unleash its spirit, and let it go wild? The choice, my friend is yours. You have some good money burning a hole in your pocket from killing it at work. Second-hand Contessa-muscle car, or a Wagon-R? Over to you!
