Bengaluru Woman Gifts Herself Dream Car On Birthday – A Restored Premier Padmini [Video]

It is not every day that we come across a tastefully restored Premier Padmini, even though our love and ardour for it has no bounds. Recently, Rachana Mahadimane, an Instagram influencer restored a Padmini to its full glory. She described her journey in a reel. The car looks pristine in the powder Blue colourway.

 

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A post shared by Rachana Mahadimane (@rachanamahadimane)

Rachana says it took so much time, effort and patience to get the car- which was in a pitiful condition at the time of acquisition to what it is today. She is from Bangalore, and ‘Jaws Garage’ undertook the restoration. Rachana got it completed and gifted herself the restored product on her birthday. She says it was her dream to own a Padmini someday, and that she has always been trying to manifest it. She even has a scale model, which can also be seen in the video. The restoration took a few months to complete.

She then talks about manifestation and its impact on making this happen. She says that she used to draw and paint Padminis, click pictures of them every time she saw them in her neighbourhood and finally it feels surreal to be driving around in it. On the closing note, she asks the viewers to always keep chasing their dreams.

 

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A post shared by Rachana Mahadimane (@rachanamahadimane)

Now coming to the car, Rachana’s Padmini is finished in a Powder Blue colour. It gets Beige ( or is it Ivory) wheels with circular Chrome plated wheel caps and a retro-looking interior. The headlamps and taillamps have all been tastefully restored. The interior gets a bench seat at the front which wears a classy old-school upholstery and the car has a column shifter.

It is difficult to find Padmini’s with a healthy column shifter (hand gear), these days as in the past most people used to replace these with traditional floor shifter units. Reason? Well, the hand gear mechanism was delicate and more vulnerable to failures and breakdowns compared to floor shifters. We are happy that Rachana could bring a column shifter back to life. To keep the spirit high and passion raw, she even has a PAL ( abbreviation for Premier Automotive Limited) keychain for the car.

Internet Reacts!

Most people are delighted by the fact that despite being a successful influencer, Rachana took the pain of restoring an age-old Padmini, instead of investing in some flashy luxury car. “In a world of fancy luxury car chasing, this is absolutely real manifestation,” remarked a user. Many appreciate her taste and choice of colours as well.

“I learned driving on a Padmini and my driving test was also on a Padmini with gears in the side of the steering wheel. Congratulations on you very own Padmini,” reads another comment.

Premier Padmini: Quick Look At It

Premier Automobiles Limited had the Padmini on sale in India from 1964 to 2001. It was essentially a Fiat, licensed and manufactured in India, marketed initially as the Fiat 1100 Delight. It was rebranded into Premier Padmini in 1974. Its key rivals in the Indian context were the Hindustan Ambassador and Standard Herald. The Padmini’s acceptance peaked during the 1970s and 80s. Everyone from laymen to celebs loved Padmini and the swag it carried. Later, with the advent and boom of Maruti Suzuki models, the Padmini’s glory slowly dimmed down. These cars continued to serve as the ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxis in Mumbai till recently.