Automobile Products of India

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Automobile Products of India (API) began in 1949 in Bombay (now Mumbai). It was started by the British Rootes Group and later bought by M. A. Chidambaram of the MAC Group from Chennai. API made Lambretta scooters and three-wheelers under a license from Innocenti of Italy, along with various automotive parts such as clutches and brakes. Its offices moved from Mumbai to Chennai, and factories were in Mumbai, Aurangabad, and Ambattur (Chennai). The company stopped operating in 2002.

API was the first Indian scooter maker. It assembled scooters from Innocenti kits and sold them as Lambretta. Early models included the Lambretta 48 (a 48 cc moped) and the D- and LD-series. In the 1960s API produced the Li-150. API also sold a three-wheeler Auto Rickshaw. In 1972 Scooters India Ltd gained exclusive rights to the Lambretta name, and API began selling scooters under the MAC brand; the MAC 175 appeared that year. In 1977 API started selling scooters as “Lamby.” The Lamby line was updated several times; the Lamby Polo in 1986 looked sleek but did not sell well, and production ended. The Lambretta and Lamby names stayed mainly in India due to licensing limits.

API’s other business made clutch and braking systems and other parts for many Indian car makers. They worked with Borg & Beck (USA), Lockheed, Fiat, and ATE, and provided brake linings under license from Firestone, later with Fichtel & Sachs for clutches. The Aurangabad plant produced parts for Maruti Udyog, Hindustan Motors, Bajaj Tempo, and Premier Cars. In 1987 an additional unit in Tamil Nadu began production.

In the 1980s API expanded research and development, creating a rear-engine 3-wheeler, a front-diesel engine for load carriers, and a six-seater 3-wheeler. The company faced rising costs and strikes, which hurt profits in 1984. Sales rose a bit in 1985 with the launch of the Lamby Polo 150, but it could not compete with Japanese rivals. By 1987 API was placed under the BIFR (Sick Industrial Companies Act) and never recovered. Production ended in 2002. Today API operates as a subsidiary of Kiyana Real Estate Private Limited.