In the automotive market the world over there have been products that have achieved cult or legend status. And typically it's not the most flamboyant or flashy automobile. Nope, it is in fact possibly a humble offering that revolutionised the way people travel, or the way they can gain access into a vehicle - as an individual or family. So whether it's the Volkswagen Beetle in Germany, the Toyota Corolla in Japan or indeed the VW Santana in Brazil - the vehicles in question define their home market. So it has been with the Maruti Suzuki 800. The car that changed the face of the Indian automotive industry - which until its arrival 31 years ago, was pretty much a two car market. The Maruti 800 was ubiquitous and that is not just because it was relatively inexpensive, but also because it was convenient, easy to maintain, and not too pricey to run.
The rest as they say is history! The M800 has finally retired. Derided for years by critics for being too dated and no longer relevant, the car with a 3 decade run behind it, has now gracefully ridden off into the sunset. Much has been said over the past several years about the first Maruti that was handed over by India's then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to Harpal Singh from Delhi. Every time Maruti Suzuki crossed a significant milestone, or even when it was privatized in 2002 - that first car has been remembered and celebrated. As the company looks back on that first car - at a time when it enjoyed a virtual monopoly for years, to today holding on to just under 40% of the market and having sold well over 10 million cars, it may well be the last Maruti 800 that we shall also remember! At least that is what I would like to do. So here it is. The last car was a Firebrick Red M800, chassis no 2890893, that rolled off the assembly line at Maruti's Gurgaon plant on the 23rd of January 2014, and headed all the way across to Rani Motors - a dealership in Shillong, Meghalaya. I wonder if the customer of that car realises how special it is!
The car that in many ways gave people to mobility as a family will always have a place in our history books. The Maruti joint venture, and subsequent privatization will no doubt be studied at B-Schools too. So we salute the icon - as humble as it may be - for it in many ways defines our industry, in many ways laid the foundations for our car aspirations, and its huge sales numbers in many ways attracted the world's attention to India's potential as a vibrant, bustling and competitive automotive market. The King is Dead... Long Live the King!
