Premier manufactured the Padmini at their Kurla plant in Bombay (now Mumbai) until they sold a majority stake to Fiat SpA in September 1997.

From the mid-1980s, with the advent of more modern, aesthetic and more fuel-efficient cars from Maruti Suzuki, the popularity of the Padmini slowly began to wane.

The liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, which allowed foreign car manufacturers to launch operations in India, began the end for the Padmini.

Named the Padmini S1, this had a more modern radiator grille, bucket seats, a Nissan floor-shift synchronised gearbox and a more powerful engine thanks to a Solex carburetor and use of a thermostat-controlled electric fan with an output of 48 bhp (36 kW).

[5] Its engine was built under license from Fratelli Negri Macchine Diesel Sud (FNM), Italy, with a displacement of 1,366 cc and generating 45 bhp (34 kW).

While all cars built by Premier were four-door sedans, small companies such as Starline also offered other bodywork, mainly in the form of estates.