India’S First Ever Maruti 800 Lies Abandoned.

[JANASENA]

If you were born during or before the '90s, you will know that the Maruti 800 was the car for all middle class families. No car has been used as extensively throughout the nation as the Maruti 800 has. So when the country heard that the very first Maruti was rusting at an abandoned residence in New Delhi, thousands of Indians got up to offer help.

Harpal Singh was the proud owner of the car he purchased in 1983, the keys to which were handed over to him by none other than then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was so attached to the car that be never bothered upgrading it either. He drove it all his life.
 

 

But sadly after his demise in 2010 and his wife, Gulshanbeer Kaur's death in 2012, there was no one to take care of the car that is parked at their locked house in Green Park. Both their daughters live separately in different locations of South Delhi with their respective spouses, but haven't yet gotten around to restoring their father's 3rd baby as yet. But after getting news of the car slowly succumbing to rust, people poured their support through social media offering to help buy and restore it. 
 

 

The Bournvita quiz-master Derek O'Brien told HT and showed interest in buying the car saying, "It was in mid-1980s and I was in Delhi to meet actor Roshan Seth. He had a Maruti 800 which was among the first lot of Marutis being given. I remember how good it felt talking to him in India’s very own Maruti. It is sad to see its first baby in this state. For me it is all about nostalgia attached with this car, it’s more important for me than a swanky red Ferrari."

Autocar India editor Hormzad Sorabjee showed similar interests and said: "My main interest is that this car be restored to its glory, whether it is done by the owners, Maruti or me. I have one Maruti 800 which I recently purchased, it is among the first lot that Maruti had released."

Maruti has shown interest in buying the car as well saying that they too will speak to the family to inquire if the purchase is possible. 
 

 

However, the family is not interested in selling the car and want to restore it themselves. Tejinder Ahluwalia, 65, is the elder son-in-law and he said: "I respect people’s emotions, who are coming forward to buy the car but if money would have been our priority all we needed was to put a small advertisement in newspapers and several people would have come forward to buy the car. We want it to be restored so that the name of our father-in-law who cared so much for the car goes into history." The younger son-in-law Amardeep Walia, 55, also had similar views.

Let us hope they keep their word and restore this beauty to its original state.
 

 

All images have been sourced from: hindustan times

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