Maruti 800 - Going Going Gone

Since last few years we have been often hearing that Maruti Suzuki Ltd is going to Phase out the Maruti 800 from Indian Roads. Technical advancements, market demands and more factors than possibly understood by the general public would surely have compelled the Maruti Senior Team to decide as such. But then the inevitable has to happen and today morning I was a trifle sad when I saw the news item in Hindustan Times that today was the last day for ordering a Maruti 800 if one wanted. It will not be available for sale from tomorrow!!

Maruti 800 like many others was my first car. I rememember the car in its first avatar being launched in the late seventies. It was a triple jump event for the indian automobile indutsry and of course the common man. For years we had just seen the inefficient Fiats(Premier Padminis) and Ambassadors on the road and we had somehat given up.

Thanks to Sanjay Gandhi's inefficiency and unwarranted accidental death, his own pet car project got converted into the Suzuki collborration and Indians finallt got a taste of new technology. While the cars were being lapped up in other metros and cities, Kolkata was still taking time to get over from the Ambassador hangover!!

My first car was a Cream Brown 800 and I learnt my driving in it thanks to my neighbour Uncle Phil Kavrana in Pune. For people driving the older generation cars the feel itself was a relief on our hand and foot muscles. Of course there were prudes who would rather have the truck feel!!

I have a lot of lovely memories of long distance driving in my 800 from Pune to Nasik or Aurangabad and the sight seeing that we have done in the plains and mountains. I remember the accident we had with our car and a truck near Kufri. I remember taking Devika to the hospital when she had labour pains. I remember my first steep climb down from Panshet Dam and Chaitali's white face of fear.

I am a bit sad today. Sphere: Related Content