This Is India's Oldest Car: No, It's Not A Maruti Or Ambassador

When we talk about the oldest cars in India, most people would start the conversation from the Hindustan Ambassador that was brought to our shores in 1958. The Maruti 800 that came in 1983 would join the list soon. But very few will mention the Aravind Model 3- a sedan that was designed in the 1960a, in Kerala but never made it to production, and possibly is the most overlooked chapter in India's automotive history. Interestingly, this car continues to survive even today and is kept at a garage in Kochi. It gets featured in YouTube videos occasionally. Despite being almost six decades old, its body remains solid, doors still close neatly, and the craftsmanship continues to impress...

Aravind Model 3: A Closer Look At It

The Aravind Model 3 was the brainchild of Kunnath Ayyath Balakrishna Menon (K.A.B. Menon), a self-taught mechanic and entrepreneur from Kerala. His goal was simple: build a car that was good-looking, comfortable, and affordable for the Indian middle class back in the day. Menon wanted to price it at just Rs 5,000, in the 60s! He believed that such a pricing would make it appeal to the middle-class.

At first glance, the Aravind Model 3 looks a lot like a vintage American sedan- maybe a Cadillac. It has a long hood, a large boot, and a prominent metal grille that looks spectacular.

The grille has great attention to detail and even gets a locking mechanism for the bonnet. You use a key here to open/close the hood. This was done to prevent battery theft- a common thing back in its day. You will also notice a strong shoulder line and clean body panels.

The turn indicators were handcrafted and sleek. The makers also gave the Aravind Model 3 a roof that extends forward like a sun visor or a rain guard. It also has neatly integrated rain channels.

Plenty of Brass details can be found on the car. In its present form, the car doesn’t have its original taillamps. Considering the era that it belongs to, the Aravind Model 3 had an impressive focus on aerodynamics.

The car would impress with its interior design as well. Thanks to its large proportions, the Model 3’s cabin had plenty of room. The dashboard was designed to look like those found in American cars. The speedometer came from a ‘60s Fiat.

A small glove box and several handcrafted panels and metallic trims can also be found inside. The Aravind Model 3 even had a record player with a 3 vinyl changer! The changer now, seems to be missing.

The seats were equally innovative. They could fold flat to form a bed, a feature that India would only see decades later in cars like the Maruti WagonR.

And more importantly, the Aravind Model 3 had air-conditioning back in its day! It was a time when only expensive imported cars offered AC as standard- you would get it on models like Buicks and Impalas, but never on a budget-friendly Indian car like the Standard Herald, for instance.

Under the hood is a Fiat-sourced 1100cc engine. It, however, had tweaks in its carburettor, air cleaner, and some other parts. The intention behind these was to improve the overall performance and usability.

It Never Made It To Production!

As visionary as the Aravind Model 3 was, it never reached mass production. The surviving example also happens to be the only one ever made! Menon needed an industrial license to start the car's series production, but never managed to get one. The project got stuck in bureaucratic red tape.

In the years that followed, we saw big names like Maruti and Hyundai come to India and flourish here. The Hindustan Ambassador rose to stellar acceptance over the years, and the Aravind was forgotten...