Fiat 1100 Millecento: The Car That Defined Indian Motoring

[@Matteo_Licata]

What a heartwarming story. I’m glad to see a piece of Italian design being cherished on the other side of the world 👍

[@DWREV]

We’re glad you enjoyed watching this piece!

[@marial8235]

Fiat built some very beautiful and unique cars bitd. The Millicento is so cute. Karl is so cool.❤

[@DWREV]

Indeed they did, and indeed they are.

[@singlendhot8628]

Such an excellent series by DW!! Wonderful journalism!

[@DWREV]

Thank you! We have new videos out every Saturday

[@abhishekghosh1895]

Salute to your passion, Mr. Karl Bhote! Brilliant piece of restoration!

[@DWREV]

Thanks. Subscribe our channel 😄

[@zerosette1242]

LA PRIMA AUTO DELLA MIA VITA AVEVO 2 ANNI 1953!

[@DWREV]

How lovely to hear this! What happened to that car?

[@rakeshsood6655]

Great . Enterprising , Emotional & Exceptional .Keep it up ,Karl .Proud of you .🌹

[@alastairwatson3201]

What a great story and a magnificent car! Thank you so much. I’ve just become a subscriber and look forward to more of your charming videos.

[@DWREV]

Thank you so much for watching our channel, and for subscribing to it too! :-)

[@som1232007]

Lovely car! Well maintained! Awesome work Karl!

[@georgechirayil2835]

Hello Karl, I enjoyed watching the video and the narration. The car was reregistered in Gujarat and how did you register it back to the previous registration DLD 13. Congratulations for keeping it up.

[@ganeshgupta2197]

My grand dad use to have this car same blue....I still remeber the number MMF 2560. If somebody finds it do contact me

[@shyamchabra5355]

I remember these with the suicide doors, but that was another era. India always chose vehicles that were underpowered but economical. The old Hindustan Ambassador persevered on through many variants for some years. Fiat was never considered a reliable car, even in India. I owned a 1100 Riviera that was built in 1964. It was ok for short runs.

[@DWREV]

You’re right, that really was another era. The Indian car market always favoured “cheap and cheerful” machines, over anything else. Of course, things seem to have changed (to a certain extent) now.

[@AndrewKNI]

A superb story and lovely wee car. :-)

[@DWREV]

Thank you for watching! It you’d like more stories like this, maybe we could persuade you to click the wee subscribe button! 😁

[@michaeldsouza6778]

There was also something called the Dukkar fiat if I remember in the early 70s and 80s .

[@DWREV]

Yes, there was. “Dukkar” was the term used to describe the Fiat 1100 Elegant, the model that came after the original Millecento. We’ve made another video on one such “Dukkar Fiat” that’s clicked over 9 lakh kilometres, and counting! You can watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2HTZmdueZZmaJo

[@michaeldsouza6778]

@@DWREV thank you sir . Watched it right away 😄

[@gitaverma3902]

beautifully maintained the georgeous car 👌

[@josephwright6042]

Beautiful car 😍

[@DWREV]

We agree!

[@rameshbhattacharjee4374]

The Fiat Was Rebranded As Premier Padmini

[@Nomuum]

As a non-Indian, let me understand something: the Ambassadors were inspired in Fiats like this one shown in the video or they were concurrently sold during some time and after that, the Ambassadors lasted decades only with some changes and modernizations?

[@haydendemenezes2460]

Ambassador was based on the British Morris Oxford and Fiat later on PAL in India. Yes they were sold concurrently and very two different cars in terms of driving dynamics.

[@Nomuum]

@@haydendemenezes2460 thank you for your explanation. Every country has, in its automotive history, these examples of Vehicles that made a lot of success and were adapted from an overseas model. As a Brazilian, I can promptly recall the example of Chevrolet Opala, sold from 1968 to 1992, that was a (German) Opel Rekord (C) rebadged and with different head- and backlights, also with American and not European engines. But unlike Ambassadors, Opala didn't motorize Brazil. VW Beetle (here called Fusca) did. And they were also sold for decades with slight modifications... imported (whole and CKD) from 1950 to 1959 and locally in two phases: 1959-1986 and 1993-1996. My deep respect for India and its automotive history.

[@saranbhatia8809]

One of my favourite cars!💯

[@JayantanathGupta]

Freisia B is the presenter, right? I can recognize that soothing voice anywhere.

[@DWREV]

Thanks for watching! The presenter is, and the voice belongs to, our reporter Vaishali Dinakaran, nonetheless we shall accept your compliment. 😊

[@TheLucknowWalla]

Brilliant! 😊👍

[@DWREV]

Thank you for watching!

[@GauravPatelks]

I’m looking for taillights for the exact model! Please let me know if it’s available

[@MrRohi10]

The Earlier Maruti 800.... so nice.....

[@JV-nt9bp]

Lovely 😊

[@DWREV]

Thank you! 😊

[@JV-nt9bp]

@@DWREV Next to the Iconic Ambassador Car from Hindustan motors, FYI even the German ambassador to India drives a red one as his official car. 😊

[@benhur_9377]

👍❤🔥

[@zerosette1242]

E' AMATA PIÙ IN INDIA CHE IN ITALIIA! F.I.A.T. PANDIMINI??? STUPENDA !? VENDETE QUALCHE MODELLO PER ITALIA??,

[@mathewmailbox]

How many more episodes will you talk about this car? Don't you have any better content..... BTW: If there is a car that deserves the title " Car that moved India" it has to be the Ambassador.....

[@DWREV]

Hi, thanks for watching the video and for your feedback. This particular car - a 1955 Fiat Millecento - has only featured in one other video. We did feature another Fiat 1100 Elegant, with 900,000 km on its odo in another video. This particular car, though, is significant for an entirely different reason, as explained in the piece. As for the car that deserves the title of “the car that moved India” - we’d argue that there are three. The Fiat 1100 (Premier Padmini), the HM Ambassador, and the Maruti 800 (SS 80). And we plan on doing a series on all of them. We hope you’ll keep watching, and pushing us to do better! 😊

[@kushemchang3957]

200 Rs was 200 euros

[@DWREV]

No, Rs 200 in 1955, when adjusted for inflation, is the equivalent of 200 Euros today.

[@rameshbhattacharjee4374]

Premier Padmini

[@VMRDY]

What is this car? I never saw these in India. This certainly did not move India.

[@dharigovind8940]

It's the predecessor of the Padmini, it was very common in Maharashtra

[@haydendemenezes2460]

Maybe cause you're not old enough. Ask your parents or for that matter your grandparents.

[@madfly8082]

@@haydendemenezes2460quite evident from his picture

[@DWREV]

Oh my! You’ve made the entire team at DW REV feel very old indeed!