Before there was Maruti Udyog there was Hindustan Motors. The only home grown Indian manufacturer dominated the Indian car segment up until 1990. It was and still is the producer of the legendary Ambassador car, which was based on the British Morris Oxford. Founded in 1942, Hindustan Motors was also one of first three car manufacturers in India. It also went through several partnerships, most notably General Motors to produce trucks and engines, and it was also part of a GM partnership to manufacture the Opel Astra in 1994. It also had a JV with Isuzu to manufacture engines for the Contessa and more recently a JV with Mitsubishi to produce Mitsubishi cars in India.
The Indian manufacturer also produced large construction vehicles and tractors. Today the company still manufacturers commercial vehicles and the legendary Ambassador. They have a strong dealer network and servicing centers across the country and they also have many manufacturing plants spread throughout the country.