For long India had just 3 car models available namely the Ambassador, the Fiat 1100D and the Standard Herald. The last fell by the way side early on and for next 3 decades there was no innovation in India. The car industry had become moribund. We used to see pictures of imported cars and were happy with it.
The government finally woke up and introduced the Maruti Suzuki. This was the brainchild of Sanjay Gandhi, but he died in an aircrash. The car however changed the concept of the auto in India and within a decade the greatest names in the car industry like Honda,Skoda, Ford among others entered the car scenario in India. One of the cars which entered the higher spectrum in terms of cost was the Skoda. It initially launched 3 models namely the Octavia, Laura and Superb. The cheapest Skoda at that time was over Rs 14 lakh. I was interested in a Skoda and bought a Octavia through the Military Canteen Stores. I got it a little cheaper, but still cost me plenty. I was delighted with the car and settled for a flame red colour.
I was extremely happy with car which ran excellently. It was a powerful car and I used it for long drives. The Skoda is a German Czeck car and during the war churned out tanks. This has rubbed off on the Skoda and it is now a byword for ruggedness and reliability. The car is a large sedan and is roomy as well as luxurious. In Mumbai, the financial capital of India the Skoda cars occupy pride of place.
Even during my visit to London, I have seen innumerable Skoda cars, but strangely I haven't seen a single Skoda in Abu Dhabi. Well friends, this post is just to express my liking for the Skoda. Its fine car and now I think I will go in for a later model
Photo of my skoda by me
Ford is a top name in the auto industry. They also manufacture cars in India and oen of their cars the Ford Figo has done well in the sale charts. However Ford have not introduced their iconic sports car the Mustang in India. The Mustang is a car that has been in production for decades and during these years has undergone many face lifts.Now Ford has announced that this car will be introduced in India and it is expected to be priced at about Rs 50 lakhs. the car will certainly give a run to the Mercedes and the BMW.
I own a Ford Mustang and use it regularly in UAE( whenever I am there). In Mumbai I use a BMW. The Mustang is something special and is a very powerful car. The car comes as a coupe with 2 doors and a retractable roof. It's a great thrill to drive the car with the roof pulled down and allow the wind to swirl around your ears. But when driving the Mustang, it's best to wear a small helmet , mainly because of the immense power the car generates. My only doubt is that the car maybe a bit unsuitable for Indian roads, but it can be used with aplomb on intercity highways like the Mumbai- Pune freeway. The car is left hand drive, but in India the right hand drive will be introduced. Ford markets RHD cars in the UK.
The engine of the Mustang is the real beast under the bonnet. It generates awesome power and the car easily touches 240 km an hour. All models come with the 6 cylinder V6 engine . In some cars the V8 is introduced and it generates 420 BHP.The car that I have generates 310 BHP and one can do the Dubai- Abu dhabi trip( 192 km) in one hour. What a drive!
The Ford Mustang is a racing car and in some aspects compared to other racing cars it comes cheap. The car comes with automatic 6 speed gearbox with climate control, but one will not need the AC, in case one drives with the hood down. The car is a power beast and needs careful handling. It is Fords most popular car all over the world. I have seen many on the road in the UK and the car is very popular among the sheikhs in the UAE, though their first preference is the Rolls.
India is looking up and the introduction of the Ford Mustang will put India in the top bracket of the auto world. Such a car was long due in India.
The introduction of the Mustang will find a ready clintele in India and maybe it will sell in viable numbers. Yes ! the roads need a doing over in India, but a lot is being done and the inter state highways are of international standards.
The above photo is of me and my Mustang.
The iconic Ambassador car has finally called it a day. Its makers have announced last week that they are suspending its production. The main reason is lack of demand. With a 2500 plus labour force, they were making five cars a day. At this level it is grossly uneconomical to continue production.
The Ambassador was also popularly known as Amby. It has the distinction of being the longest produced car model in the world. Its production was started in 1957, at the company's Uttarpara plant in West Bengal. The model was based on the Morris Oxford of UK. It soon captured nearly 70% of the car market. The other 30% was with Fiat makers. At its peak it was producing nearly 24,000 cars a year in the relatively small car market of the sixties and seventies.
The curvaceous car, upon its production, with ample space for passengers and luggage soon became a hit with car owning Indians. Its strong body gave it strength to run on potholed roads and rugged mountain roads and through waterlogged ones as well. Over time it became clear that it was also a durable car that could last and run for a large number of years.
The city which adopted it to its heart was Kolkatta. The car seemed to blend beautifully with the city's landscape and large curvaceous buildings. The car also became the favourite of politicians and government departments. The netas and babus found its ample space suitable for their comfort and it also became associated with power.
The large-sized Indian families also took to it as it could accommodate literally a dozen and more persons. The drivers also liked to drive it because of the sense of power it gave them. It was only a matter of time before ot got used widely as a taxi. Its larges passenger and boot space and ability to negotiate rugged features in planes and mountains made it ideal for use by taxi owners. In Kolkatta today also there are 33,000 plus Ambassador cars running as taxis on its roads. What the black Fiat taxis were to Mumbai yellow Ambassador taxis are to Kolkatta.
Generations have grown with fond memories of their childhood and youth spent traveling in the Amby. In its backseat, lovers have stolen kisses, netas have planned their schemes, villains have chased their victims and passengers have anxiously reached just in time railway stations and airports.
However the eighties saw the Maruti and other cars entering the Indian market with functional and fuel efficient models. The downfall of Ambassador had started. The other car Fiat caved in but the gritty Amby continued on taxi and government demand. Its makers introduced upgradations in style, engine and internal features etc. But the Amby was an outdated car. For too long it had not kept with the times enjoying its monopoly because of government's protective policies. Thus when competition emerged it was time for it to depart.
It is to the credit of Ambassador that it withstood growing competition and continued till now. An uninterrupted run of 57 years on a single model with a few cosmetic changes is an unbeatable world record. Although its production has been suspended and not stopped, the writing on the wall is clear. Its days are over. It will be economically un viable to continue its production.The government has also moved to buying latest models of other makes. The politicians have moved on to latest SUV's. The demand for Amby has dwindled and only five cars a day were being manufactured.
All products have a product life cycle and the last stage after maturity is declining stage. In the initial stages of introduction and growth it enjoyed a near monopoly and in the last two stages strong competition is driving it into oblivion. But the sheer longevity is something that it can be proud of. Just last year BBC in its popular Top Gear program voted the 'indestructible' Ambassador Cars of Kolkatta the best taxis in the world.
The 'indestructible' Ambassador is now a relic of our closed door economic policies era which we followed till 1991-92. In the post liberalized India car models need to be changed every few years to cater to the short attention span of customers who are prepared to invest in new models every few years. The country is far more richer today and loyalty to a car or a job are not seen favourably.
It shall now live in the memory of its lovers for a long time and will be found running on the roads of Kolkatta till the last taxi bows out after at least a decade and a half in the future, if the longevity of the Fiat taxis in Mumbai is a reference.
Ambassador car - adieu.
we all know that we can't use fossil fuels as the time has arrived when fossil fuels are on the verge of extinction. Now we have to do something about the fuels so that we can maintain the hustle- bustle of our life. Now the new generation of efficient and super cars has arrived. As we all know that now-a-days, the electric cars are becoming the lifeline of mega cities. But electricity is produced by the burning of fossil fuels and pollution created by the nuclear reactors. The only way to solve this problem is to plant wind power generators and solar panels especially in sandy and desert areas. There are many countries who are using the scientific methods like solar panels which converts the solar energy into electrical energy. But can create is a bit problem for people. The main thing is that it could make our pockets tight as it will increase the consumption of electricity bill.
There are many other ways to create our home-made and agricultural diesel. Unlike developing countries like India and China, it has been seen that the developed countries are using fuel efficient tools for generation of cars. The recycling of cars is the main source of diesel for us. As we all know the steel and metal of cars are recycled to make new cars. But the remaining plastics, fibers, etc. are the components to make ethanol diesel. The components are passed through thermal expansion and the liquid formed is the ethanol from diesel. One other way is that we can make ethanol from the leaves of soybean but it cannot give us high mileage. But it doesn't create a single percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Now I want to tell you about the new Hybrid water cars. We all know that Hybrid stands for the car which runs on hydrogen. There are two ways of using hydrogen to run the cars. Firstly way, hydrogen can combusted in engine to run the car and in another way, the hydrogen helps to create chemical reaction in hydrogen cell which is used to give the electricity which runs the engine or the car. But now this car will run on water. When the battery of car sends current in the water, hydrogen will go in the cell to run the engine and oxygen will go back in the atmosphere. So this could be a way out.
Now the well known great scientists and engineers are transforming the free fuel car powered by solar panels which will engage solar power generations to power the car. The well known Ferrari Tesla version is going to sell their car this year. There are many cars in which all of the devices or the car-parts present in the car works on electrical energy.
Now, the last future car car remains. This is also a free fuel car named 'Air Car'. What is amazing in it is that a generator is installed which takes air from the atmosphere and compress it to move the piston to run the car. So, we don't have to worry about the fossil fuels as our scientists do their best to make our life comfortable.
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