Hello ,
Have you guys spotted Suzuki SS80 the predecessor of mehran/maruti 800 ?It is the first model which was released in India during 1982 -pure japanese cars.two models were available till 1987 IIRC. Maruti Suzuki SS80 and SS80DX(deluxe).now many people collect the few remaining in India.these cars were produced during licence raj era(start of 1990).
Are there Suzuki SS80s in pakistan?I guess pak suzuki too got the same models at that time?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Suzuki_Motor
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first real JAPANESE car in INDIA -the SS80 and SS80DX-
as all of you may remember the first lot of Maruthi'800's came with everything imported from SUZUKI japan except for the Battery and tyres.
even the paint was JAPANESE-really!!
The Deluxe(DX) version was launched as a premium car in those days and was available only on FOREIGN EXCHANGE(NRI) payments.(correct me If I am wrong)
the differences from the "STANDARD " model being - Tinted glass(suzuki temperlite) ,NIPPON DENSO A/C,
Maruti Clarion radio with Clarion HIFI speakers and external antenna on right A pillar,
Digital clock(green digits) on the dashboard(centraly located), BEIGE colour STANLEY leather seat covers.
velevety Floor carpet+ rubber mats with suzuki logo.
it cost about Rs.30000 more than the base version
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(courtesy:team-bhp)
Click on the image for full size photos.
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1970's
Around 1970, Sanjay Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi's younger son, envisioned the manufacture of an indigenous, cost-effective, low maintenance compact car for the Indian middle-class. Indira Gandhi's cabinet passed a unanimous resolution for the development and production of a "People's Car". Sanjay Gandhi's company was christened Maruti Limited. The name of the car was chosen as "Maruti", after a Hindu deity named Maruti.
At that time Hindustan Motors' Ambassador was the chief car, and the company had come out with a new entrant, the Premier Padmini which was slowly gaining a part of the market share dominated by the Ambassador. For the next ten years, the Indian car market had stagnated at a volume of 30,000 to 40,000 cars for the decade ending 1983.
Sanjay Gandhi was awarded the exclusive contract and licence to design, develop and manufacture the "People's Car". This exclusive rights of production generated some criticism in certain quarters, which was directly targeted at Indira Gandhi. Over the next few years, the company was sidelined due to the Bangladesh Liberation War and emergency.
In the early days under the powerful patronage of Sanjay Gandhi, the company was provided with free land, tax breaks and funds. Till the end of 1970s, the company had not started the production and a prototype test model was welcomed with criticism and skepticism. The company went into liquidation in 1977. The media perceived it to be another area of growing corruption. Unfortunately, Maruti started to fly only after the death of Sanjay Gandhi, when Suzuki Motors joined the Government of India as a joint venture partner with 50% share.
After his death, Indira Gandhi decided that the project should not be allowed to die. Maruti entered into this collaboration with Suzuki Motors, The collaboration heralded a revolution in the Indian car industry by producing the Maruti 800. The car went on sale on December 14, 1983. It created a record by taking 13 months time to go from design to rolling out cars from a production line.
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http://www.histomobile.com/DVD_HISTOMOBILE/USA/197/HISTORY2.ASP
