Modified Hindustan Contessa: Desi MUSCLE!

The Contessa is very popular in auto enthusiast circles. Produced between 1984 to 2002 by Hindustan Motors, it can be considered as the first and only made-in-India muscle car. Though it was not an original design (based on Vauxhall VX), it was one of the few luxury cars made in India, when launched. Here is a beautiful example of a modified Hindustan Contessa.

This HM Contessa is what dreams are made of. It has been beautifully done by Chennai-based firm Modsters Automotive. It is quite a well-known company and has many fine projects under its belt. However, one look at this and it instantly became our favourite.

The car now features an aggressive front fascia consisting of a remodelled bumper, a new grille and raked air intakes under the grille. It even gets a front spoiler that looks radical. And, damn those eyes (read headlights) man; you will definitely fall for them. The headlamps now get a red LED surround lending it more character. The headlamp unit too has been completely changed and is now a Bluetooth-controlled LED unit.

The sides remain more or less the same with some tweaks here and there like the stylish rear view mirrors. The rear is the place where things get hot again. The rear looks so good that some may rate it over the front. It now gets in-house made tail lights.

The tail lights are rectangular units with an H-shaped brake light, housing indicators in between. They alone raise the hotness quotient of this car a notch. The bumper is also remodelled and there is a boot lid spoiler in place. Though not of much help for the aerodynamics, the spoiler for sure looks cool.

The whole car gets a Darth Vader finish (read glossy black) and looks as mean as it can be. The car now rides on custom 10-spoke, blacked-out alloys and comes shod with low profile tyres. There are also proper tyre stickers in place. The interiors also have been completely redone in Tan and has been given a temporary look. The interiors can be also made to order as per customer preferences.

If you ever wanted to own a vehicle with ‘muscle car looks’ in India but didn’t have pockets deep enough to get one, this is perhaps your best shot at it. This Contessa, to say the least, looks intimidating and will not only make heads turn but rather get second or third glances too.