Warm Farewell For Maruti 800

For past three decades this car provided the rites of passage for every middle class Indian graduating from two to four wheelers. Hence its swan song evoked a welter of emotions as it was the original people's car on Indian roads. Though many other aspirants for that title came along, none could replicate the success of Maruti 800.

This small car had become a signature vehicle for the middle class, though over a period of time it did get devalued by few notches when other better options came along. However the fact that the car will stop rolling out of assembly lines evokes a lump in throat even among those who had traded their Maruti 800 long ago for far more spacious offerings.

However the little remembered fact is that the birth pangs this car suffered were enormous. It had to go through a politico-legal wringer before the first car rolled out of the assembly line. The Maruti project was the baby of the then political enfant terrible Sanjay Gandhi and was seen as an example of cronyism in the licence permit raj. After the Janata government came to power in 1977 the company was liquidated, a commission was formed to investigate various scandals associated with it. Meanwhile, the factory at Gurgaon (not a single car had rolled out by then) was mothballed during its tenure.

A year after Indira Gandhi came back to power in 1980, it was decided to revive the venture. Under the chairmanship of V Krishnamurthy, a civil servant, the hunt for a foreign collaborator began. They zeroed in on Japanese auto major Suzuki (more famous for its motorcycles) and as per the JV signed, Suzuki were to supply compact built units. The rest they say is history.

The blooming of Maruti 800 coincided with the rise of Indian middle class and with the liberalization of the 1990s its sales entered top gear. Easy finance options made the car all the more affordable. Soon it became an indispensable component of 'decent marriages' (a euphemism used in newspaper matrimonial ads to hint that lavish dowry will be paid, as against 'simple marriage') and replaced Bajaj and Lambretta scooters (both now reduced to museum pieces) from the dowry list. It became an aspirational car for the yuppies and the affluent class in the hinterlands.

Soon the Indian roads began getting overrun by these 800 cc wonders and elbowed out old jalopies such as Ambassador and Premier Padmini. Though it was no match to their size and spaciousness, it made up for it by being generations ahead in terms of technology. Its low turning radius made it easier to handle on crowded city roads and gallis.

The coming of Zen in mid-nineties and later Korean players such as Hyundai Santro and Daewoo Matiz took some sheen off its prime position.  But the doughty Maruti 800 soldiered on, aged gracefully and displayed a longevity way beyond anybody's expectation. Even today it maintains a commanding position in the entry level segment, despite cheaper offering like Tata Nano. Hopefully Maruti will continue its entry level dominance with Alto 800.

Picture courtesy: Facebook

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