Bombay Fiat Club Mega Meet: A celebration of classic Fiats

There was a time in India when our roads were ruled by only two types of cars. One was the Hindustan Ambassador, and the other was the Premier Padmini, a.k.a, the Fiat. Fast forward to 2024 and both the cars have been discontinued years ago, but the brand cachet of the Fiat in particular has not been lost on classic car enthusiasts. And one such club, celebrating these classic Fiats is the Bombay Fiat Club. The Bombay Fiat Club recently held a Mega Meet at the Bombay Presidency Radio Club Limited in Mumbai.

It was delightful to see 80 classic Fiats on the Arabian Sea-facing pier, in close vicinity of the Gateway of India, and the condition of the cars was nothing short of pristine, with their bright colours and chrome sparkling under the sun. The range of Fiats presents included everything from the adorable Fiat 500 and Fiat 650 to the Fiat Millecento, the Fiat Select and Super Select, the Fiat 1100D, the Premier 118NE and the Premier S1. Of course, the most familiar of these was the Premier Padmini, a car that has become ubiquitous thanks to its long-lived role as the kaali-peeli taxi in Mumbai. The enthusiasts owning these cars are a tight-knight bunch, and it was a joy interacting with them and getting to know about their cars. The event featured cars coming from as far as Goa, Latur and Pune, with one particularly avid enthusiast driving all the way from Punjab to attend this Fiat meet in Mumbai! The guest of honour for the event was Maitreya Doshi, Chairman & Managing Director, Premier Automobiles Ltd, and Doshi went on to tell all the members of the club about the history of Premier Automobiles. Following this, the owners of the classic cars were felicitated and handed certificates and mementos of the event.

“The Bombay Fiat Club was inaugurated in April 2024 with the sole purpose of getting together classic Fiat car owners from across Mumbai, so that they find purpose and contentment in their cars. There are many opportunities from the club to meet or drive or to help each other in repairs and maintenance, as well as connecting with each other for parts and cars. It has already started to bear fruits by getting together the Fiat people. The registration in the club is free and the club doesn’t charge its owners any participation fees for its events as well,” says Dr Sambit Patnaik, a super specialist colorectal surgeon who is the founder of the Bombay Fiat Club. Patnaik went on to tell us that the Bombay Fiat Club meets at two to three annual events and weekly Sunday drives.

We also had the chance to speak to Bomi Russi Boyce, a Fiat enthusiast whose family owns a blue 1957 Fiat which has been passed on through generations. Boyce told us that this car originally belonged to his father-in-law who bought it brand-new in 1957 and it was used by him till 2006, up to his demise. The car was sold off in 2009, but due to the sentimental value of the car, the family bought back the car during the Covid lockdown period. The car was in a bad condition, but the family fully restored the car up to its original glory, and Boyce claims that this 1957 Fiat has racked up over 2 to 3 lakh kilometres on the clock over the years. When asked about his future plans for the Fiat, Boyce says, “Of course it will be going to my children and grandchildren definitely, not be disposed of in any way.”

Speaking to other Fiat owners at the event, they share a similar sentiment about their classic cars, and they are very passionate about keeping their steeds running in tip-top condition, even as the world moves towards cars with newer technology and electric vehicles. But seeing these restored classics and cars of yesteryear truly warms the heart, bringing back memories of a simpler time when driving was not just about horsepower figures, but more about sitting back and enjoying the ride as you motored along India’s roads.