The Making Of Pakistan’s National Car And It Is Not Suzuki Mehran

We have national everything from bird to sports, we have chosen a national ambassador from each of the categories as historical significance, an icon, an image upon the sight of which, the world shall chant Pakistan! Pakistan! But that isn’t so and for very good reason. Our national bird, Chukar still have people confused on how to spell it, and worse, it is quite popular amongst hunters who take photos with dead Chukars so it is quite an unlucky little fellow. Then we all know about how iconic is our national game and Minar-e-Pakistan…

Anyways, in the olden days, when Toyota Corolla and Suzuki Mehran ruled the streets with fear and prosecution of resale, people bowed down to our great Kings as more capable and qualified candidates watched the peasantry from the sides, off the shores in complete awe and pity but the Arab Spring was going to have its effects here in Pakistan as well. And it did on the automotive market.

Toyota Vitz led the country; people had found its new leader. But even more new leaders arrived to shepherd the country from the tyranny of evil cars. Station Wagons became so popular, Toyota Prius and Japanese Kei cars became as regular as Suzuki Mehran cars and Toyota Corolla, and with those people who bought resale rather a car. There was a silent revolution and the big three were seeing the people standing up to it and it was time to study what the people wanted and finally become people’s companies. Forces of nature were hard at work, and PakWheels was only a small part of it.

Change was coming! We received intelligence from Toyota that Vitz and Vios is coming, Suzuki was finally letting Cultus go and bringing in Celerio with the Swift on top. And the Pakistan auto policy was shaping to be totally in favor of Pakistanis and the country. No model will come without ABS, Air bag, and the mandatory safety features; no car model will be allowed to run for more than 10 years; you will only pay a quarter of the total price on booking; PakWheelers had been heard.

So we’re not as unlucky as the Chakur are we now. But I remember, PakWheels member AkbarGr8 one day saying that State Bank of Pakistan could replace gold with Toyota Corollas and it will actually boost our currency.

But Toyota or Suzuki Pakistan are as Pakistani as a Japani wearing a kurta shalwar. It isn’t. Germans have the Mercedes, BMW and Audi. The sight of the star reminds us of Germany, the color red is Italian thanks to Ferrari, Muscle cars are an image of United States. So what about Pakistan?

There are many contenders, but I suppose the best pick would be a hatchback. Pakistanis, generally love cars, you don’t have to know the code of the engine to be an enthusiast, you just have to like cars and enjoy them. The only hatchback, designed and built by Pakistan was the Adam Revo which wasn’t such a bright attempt and frankly, you wouldn’t want that too become Pakistan’s recognition but I think if we added the following, we wouldn’t have an icon but something that shows 67 years of misery filled motoring years.

— a dab of Suzuki Mehran; some flavor of Indus Corolla; our fascination with Honda Accord; the VTEC of Honda Civic; the Choudary affair with high beams; the height of a spacer installed XLi; the status of a Toyota Land Cruiser; and finally, the executive approach to Mercedes and BMW.

These are the flavors that Professor X would have put in a basket all together and stir them rather vigorously to create, what would then be Pakistan’s national car.

But we’re just thinking out loud. So what car would you want to become an image of Pakistan? The puny little hatchbacks or horsepower advertisement filling with rage, fire, power and science-fiction?