Mumbai-the city known for Bollywood, business, and the beloved kaal-peeli taxi. However, on October 30, 2023, it was ‘meter down’ for the last time as the iconic black and yellow Fiat Padmini cars were retired from the streets for good. 

Originally branded as the Fiat 1100 Delight, the four-seat saloon was manufactured in India from 1964 by Premier Automobiles Limited (PAL), a division of the Walchand Group, under license from Fiat. 

In 1973, it was rechristened Premier President, and the following year, the Premier Padmini, after the 14th-century Rajput princess. 

Premier’s Kurla plant in Bombay (now Mumbai) was the manufacturing unit for Padmini until they sold a majority stake to Fiat SpA in September 1997. The Indian variant came with a carbureted 1,089 cc four-cylinder petrol engine compared to the 1,221 cc engine fitted to the GranLuce in Italy.

It became popular right from its launch alongside the Hindustan Ambassador. And it wasn’t just taxis. The Padmini became a popular car among celebrities and non-celebrities. 

Its looks, ease of driving, and fuel efficiency gave it a clear advantage over the Hindustan Ambassador. From Rajnikanth and Mammootty to Aamir Khan, heroes proudly drove Padmini onscreen at the peak of their careers. 

In the early days, Padmini featured prominently on a number of popular Hindi songs like Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho (Hanste Zakhm - 1973) and Koi Bar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai (Rajnigandha - 1974). 

Even later, the Fiat taxi played a significant role in the film Taxi No. 9211 starring John Abraham and Nana Patekar. The 2020 film “Khaali Peeli” starring Ishaan Khatter, Ananya Panday and Jaideep Ahlawat had some amazing shots of the Padmini.

The Fiat had its impact beyond Bollywood too. The 2014 Indian Tamil-language film Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (The Landlord and Padmini) revolves around an old man and his love for his vintage Premier Padmini. 

2019 Kannada-language film directed and written by Ramesh Indira was titled Premier Padmini and the vehicle featured prominently in the film poster.