Premier Automobiles Limited (PAL) launched the Premier Padmini in India in the mid-1960s, basing it on the Italian Fiat 1100D. The Padmini was small and fashionable for its time, with a sleek, European style that appealed to the middle class in urban India. It had rounded edges, a chrome grille, and simple yet graceful lines. Known for its dependability and fuel efficiency, it had a 1.1L inline-four petrol engine and a 4-speed manual gearbox. Although it was made in Mumbai, it was not designed in India. Aesthetically, the car was simple and sleek. It had a 3-box design with chrome-lined round headlights placed at corners with a giant grille at the centre housing the PAL logo and blinkers placed beneath it. It had curved front and rear bumpers crafted in chrome, door handles and a hub wheel cap also made up of chrome. Its cost-effective production was made possible by the local manufacturing of several of its pieces, including the body panels, engine parts and suspension systems, under licence from Fiat. The Premier Padmini became a cultural icon of Indian cities, particularly Mumbai, where it was a well-known black-and-yellow cab for many years due to its small size, ease of manoeuvrability, and fashionable appearance.