Q.Maruti 800: Through The Years

[QUOTE=JOY MRC;n12582]True that.The SS80 has a special vibe to it ,especially the rear glass hatch.It also looks good when modified.VW Golf MK-I/II Conversions are quite common with this model.[/QUOTE] You mean something like this? [IMG]http://www.cartoq.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/maruti-800-concept-carz-2.jpg[/IMG] Apparently there is a really nice looking SS80 modified into a VW Gold MkII in Trivandrum. Read something about in Evo India. Bijoy Kumar, former editor of BS Motoring, had written a column on it and how the Trivandrum boys have good taste when it comes to modifying cars. Can't argue with that. Look at this beauty below, again from Trivandrum. Except for the wheels, everything else looks good. [IMG]http://www.cartoq.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Maruti-800-to-Volkswagen-Golf-Mark-I.jpg[/IMG]

The first Maruti Suzuki to be sold in India - DIA 6479. Check out this CNN-IBN news report :) [video=youtube;ZsC2HKl2gXk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsC2HKl2gXk[/video]

[QUOTE=Roshun;n12579]My first association with the Maruti 800 was when a school mate's father, a doctor from Kerala, bought a white one and drove up to Ooty to pick up his son from boarding school. This was in 1985. Till then we were all used to only Ambassadors and Fiats (Premier Padminis) as well as Standard Heralds and other cars. The sight of this sleek and tiny 800 pulling into school was awesome. I remember looking into every nook and cranny of it and being fascinated with the rear windscreen opening to reveal the boot. After that, a couple of years later when I was barely a teenager, my unc bought a red Maruti 800 DX (SS80) with a registration number starting with 'CAT'. The car was a really cool. He bet me that if I could open the bonnet, I could have the car (to a boy of 13 that was a dream bet). It was fairly easy, I pulled the lever under the dash and then looked around the grille, studied the mechanism for a moment, and pressed the logo on the bonnet - Lo and behold, the bonnet opened. But he didn't let me have the car. :(. I prefer the old SS80's shape compared to the newer SB308 that replaced it in 1986/87. [/QUOTE] Remember they used to sell metallic stickers for the button on the hood? They had all sorts of design for those. I used to hate them so much. Even I like the SS80 compared to the SB308. Remember I told you that story of me seeing an old SS80 in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai and approaching the owner asking if he was willing to sell it? I gave him my phone number when I was leaving Chennai. Guy hasn't called me till date :( I hope it doesn't rot away in Chennai. Would really love to restore it back to factory-spec again.

[QUOTE=Arjun;n12576] Our 800 before its first long drive from Srinagar to Ambala driven by my Dad's trusted driver who had done the PDI for the car. He was so attached to the car, that even after being in a different unit, he used to come over to do a checkup. My Dad wanted to keep his Primier Padmini and get another Gypsy for off-roading, but Mom wanted a Maruti 800 as she was tired pushing the unreliable Fiat. There are some fights you can't win even if you are a good soldier and the 800 came home. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n12577[/ATTACH][/QUOTE] That's the same Maruti 800 we had in Trivandrum. When my dad sold it to buy an A-Star for my mother, I was very sad to see it go. I didn't talk to my parents for a week after that. Even though I recommended the A-Star to my parents, I still can't forgive it for being the reason why KL 01 G 2088 had to leave. We had the car for 13 years and it did a total of 1,13,000 km when we sold it. There was not a single aftermarket part in the car except for the awesome Sony cassette player and Sony speakers in it. The car was repainted once after it completed 10 years as the old paint started yellowing. The new coat wasn't as smooth as the factory-spec but still it gleamed like a pearl whenever it was out in the sun.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com"]NikilSJ[/URL] Technology! I totally agree with you. I am happy to live in the times when we never even had cell-phones. You reach home, when you reach home! You don't get 5 calls asking where you have reached? :p That whole excitement of seeing somebody after a long time is all gone now. Same as the case with travelling, Online maps have destroyed that connect of asking a local guy for directions. You often get talking, about the place we are in, possible routes and other things we should check out on the way. I still prefer the good old ways anyday :)

[QUOTE=JOY MRC;n12574][USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] Excellent write up man.Now this is something I always wanted to do.Everyone especially 80's-90's kids has definetly gone through the Iconic 800 in their life at some point.Kudos.I saw this post today and it felt so Ironic because I finished restoring my friends 2001 M800 5Speed just today only.He is out of station so I was in charge of the project and it came out decent. Driving it brought back old memories of my Joymobile which also was a 5 Speed but a Limited Edition Riviera one which atleast some are familiar with from my earlier posts.It never let me down even once and we did some crazy stuff together :cool: My Neighbour still owns a Red SS80 which I also saw today.This day is indeed Special for the[B] 800[/B] it seems :eek: [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] Mr.Old man,Don't give up yet,try some Santhosh Brahmi or Sona-Chaandi Chawanpraash :D On a serious note.You can use VAHAN Portal to get Vehicle info. SMS VAHANNumber without spaces(Eg. VAHAN KL10F2154).You will get sane details as in the KeralaMvd site sans detailed owner whereabouts ;).VAHAN Number-[B]7738299899[/B] I don't know if it works for old vehicles though.So please be gentle with me if it doesn't work :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] ​Thanks [USER="135"]JOY MRC[/USER]. Been thinking of doing this post for a long while now. Finally got around to doing it. I like the looks of the 2001 M800. Seems like a job well done. Jow, along with the Riviera, there was another one too right? What was that called? I don't think anyone has heard of an 800 that has given up on its driver. Our 800 used to keep going even when the fuel gauge needle used to sit below 'E'! It used to make sure we got to the next petrol pump before giving up. However, once when I was a kid and the rally bug kicked in, I sat in the car and kept playing with the gear lever. I kept shifting cogs without pressing the clutch and the next day when my mother started the car and engaged first the whole gear lever went down the tunnel with a 'plonk' sound. Apparently the gear lever housing gave up. That whole incident resulted in me getting my bottom smacked with a 'chooral' so hard I couldn't sit down for two or three days :p And that's how I learnt the use of a clutch :p Ah good times!

​[USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] and [USER="12"]Arjun[/USER] totally agree with you that it was far more easier to remember our older car's number. If someone shows up and asks me for the Punto's number, I'd have to think twice to remember it. Same goes for phone numbers too don't you think? Back in the day of landlines, we could remember upto 20 numbers in our head. With the advent of mobile phones, we have started taking things for granted. Imagine if you are stranded somewhere these days and you phone conks off! You'd only be able to remember you parents' or loved ones' phone number and nothing else. Hell, most times I can't remember my own number most days. I keep telling people of my generation and the younger ones to not get too addicted and dependable on technology these days, but all of it goes in vain most of the time. :( I wish things could go back to being simple again. I really do.

[QUOTE=Praveen;n12565][USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] Nice post, man. The SS80 brings a flood of memories! I feel so nostalgic. My uncle used to have the SS80 and he was the only one in the family with a car and used to travel everywhere only in his car. I remember the petrol prices were somewhere around 35- 40 bucks a litre! Back then, I was under the impression that he is one of the very few people in India who use their cars for inter- city drives! :p[/QUOTE] Thanks [USER="40"]Praveen[/USER]. The SS80 was a thing of beauty. When I was a kid, even I thought my family was the only one that used to take a Maruti 800 for corss-country trips. Back then, the highways were less cluttered and you could only find Hindustan Ambassadors on the road and most of them were taxis. So it felt nice when ours was the only Maruti 800 you could spot for miles on the highway. Everytime another 800 used to pop up somewhere along the road, we used to wave at it, maybe even stop for some chai with the family in the other car. Those days sure were simpler compared to today!

Will definitely try it [USER="135"]JOY MRC[/USER] By that I mean, Santhosh Brahmi and Sona-Chaandi Chawanpraash :p Seriously, SMS VAHAN mission is on! Thanks a lot for the update:)

True that.The SS80 has a special vibe to it ,especially the rear glass hatch.It also looks good when modified.VW Golf MK-I/II Conversions are quite common with this model.

My first association with the Maruti 800 was when a school mate's father, a doctor from Kerala, bought a white one and drove up to Ooty to pick up his son from boarding school. This was in 1985. Till then we were all used to only Ambassadors and Fiats (Premier Padminis) as well as Standard Heralds and other cars. The sight of this sleek and tiny 800 pulling into school was awesome. I remember looking into every nook and cranny of it and being fascinated with the rear windscreen opening to reveal the boot. After that, a couple of years later when I was barely a teenager, my unc bought a red Maruti 800 DX (SS80) with a registration number starting with 'CAT'. The car was a really cool. He bet me that if I could open the bonnet, I could have the car (to a boy of 13 that was a dream bet). It was fairly easy, I pulled the lever under the dash and then looked around the grille, studied the mechanism for a moment, and pressed the logo on the bonnet - Lo and behold, the bonnet opened. But he didn't let me have the car. :(. I prefer the old SS80's shape compared to the newer SB308 that replaced it in 1986/87.

Our 800 before its first long drive from Srinagar to Ambala driven by my Dad's trusted driver who had done the PDI for the car. He was so attached to the car, that even after being in a different unit, he used to come over to do a checkup. My Dad wanted to keep his Primier Padmini and get another Gypsy for off-roading, but Mom wanted a Maruti 800 as she was tired pushing the unreliable Fiat. There are some fights you can't win even if you are a good soldier and the 800 came home. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n12577[/ATTACH]

[USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] Excellent write up man.Now this is something I always wanted to do.Everyone especially 80's-90's kids has definetly gone through the Iconic 800 in their life at some point.Kudos.I saw this post today and it felt so Ironic because I finished restoring my friends 2001 M800 5Speed just today only.He is out of station so I was in charge of the project and it came out decent. [CENTER] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n12575[/ATTACH][/CENTER] Driving it brought back old memories of my Joymobile which also was a 5 Speed but a Limited Edition Riviera one which atleast some are familiar with from my earlier posts.It never let me down even once and we did some crazy stuff together :cool: My Neighbour still owns a Red SS80 which I also saw today.This day is indeed Special for the[B] 800[/B] it seems :eek: [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] Mr.Old man,Don't give up yet,try some Santhosh Brahmi or Sona-Chaandi Chawanpraash :D On a serious note.You can use VAHAN Portal to get Vehicle info. SMS VAHANNumber without spaces(Eg. VAHAN KL10F2154).You will get sane details as in the KeralaMvd site sans detailed owner whereabouts ;).VAHAN Number-[B]7738299899[/B] I don't know if it works for old vehicles though.So please be gentle with me if it doesn't work :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=JijoMalayil;n12566][URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/20"]NikilSJ[/URL] From the time that I can remember, These are our vehicle numbers, that we owned in the past. Strangely, I can't recollect the ones we have now, getting old I guess :( Maruti 800 - KL 10 F 2154 Maruti Wagon R (Gen 1) - KL 10 K 3737 Maruti Wagon R (Gen-1 facelift) - KL 10 V 721 Hyundai Tucson - KL 7 BF 737 I wanted to check for their present owners. But, one needs to enter the chassis number to extract details from the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department site. [/QUOTE] Same with me [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER]. I remember our cars and scooter's numbers right from the early 90s, but still have to think twice for my newer vehicles. Funny part is our 800 was relocated and re-registered thrice and I still remember all the numbers

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com"]NikilSJ[/URL] From the time that I can remember, These are our vehicle numbers, that we owned in the past. Strangely, I can't recollect the ones we have now, getting old I guess :( Maruti 800 CB72 - KL 10 F 2154 Maruti Wagon R (Gen-1) - KL 10 K 3737 Maruti Wagon R (Gen-1 facelift) - KL 10 V 721 Hyundai Tucson - KL 7 BF 737 I wanted to check for their present owners. But, one needs to enter the chassis number to extract details from the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department site.

[USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] Nice post, man. The SS80 brings a flood of memories! I feel so nostalgic. My uncle used to have the SS80 and he was the only one in the family with a car and used to travel everywhere only in his car. I remember the petrol prices were somewhere around 35- 40 bucks a litre! Back then, I was under the impression that he is one of the very few people in India who use their cars for inter- city drives! :p

Thanks [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER]. I intend to fill this thread with the history of all Maruti 800 variants that were available till Maruti Suzuki stopped production of the icon in 2010. Inputs and suggestion are most welcome. I would also like to know other members' experience with their Maruti 800s too. Will do a detailed post about the 800 my family owned for more than a decade later. By the way, my car's registration number was [B]KL 01 G 2088[/B]. If anyone, especially people from Trivandrum like [USER="135"]JOY MRC[/USER] or [USER="12"]Arjun[/USER] know about it's whereabouts, please let me know :p

That was one nice dose of history! This was perhaps the one nice thing Sanjay Gandhi ever tried to do :p I am glad that finally Suzuki made the cut. Volkswagen would have been non-viable in the highly price sensitive market like ours. We should do a thread on all the cars that was ever sold in India since independence :)

[SIZE=14px][U][B]First-Generation: SS80[/B][/U] The first generation Maruti 800 was a pioneer of sorts in the Indian car market. It was actually based on the four-door Suzuki Fronte SS80. It was the product of a collaborative effort between government-owned Maruti and Japan’s Suzuki Motor Company. The first batch of Maruti 800s were sold for what was then a princely sum of Rs 48,000. The SS80 featured a 796cc three-cylinder engine with a Mikuni carburettor which pumped out 39.5bhp at 5,000rpm. But first let’s take a look at how the idea of the “people’s car for India” emerged.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12547[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Back in 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s cabinet proposed the idea of producing a car for the masses. The government wanted to build an efficient, indigenous car that the middle-class Indian could afford. In June that year, Maruti Motors Limited was incorporated under the Companies Act. Sanjay Gandhi was appointed as the managing director of the company. Indira Gandhi received a lot of flak from her ministers and the public for this move as Sanjay had no prior experience, design proposals or links with any corporation. However, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and victory over Pakistan took away some of the attention from the Maruti “scam”.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12548[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Sanjay Gandhi and Maruti Motors Limited came out with a test model but this was met with criticism and the whole project was shelved. Later, Sanjay Gandhi contacted Volkswagen AG from West Germany for a possible collaboration, transfer of technology and joint production of the “People’s Car”. Sanjay wanted to emulate some of the success Volkswagen’s worldwide success with it’s people’s car - the Beetle. Then came the Emergency and the Maruti project was forgotten for a long while as Sanjay became active in politics. During this period, his mother and he faced various charges of corruption and nepotism. After the Emergency, the Janata Party came to power in 1971 and ‘Maruti Limited’ was liquidated. The Janata Party government even set up a commission headed by Justice A P Gupta was set up to evaluate the whole project. The commission didn’t mice words in its report and slammed the previous government for the whole project. [/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]On 23 June 1980, Sanjay Gandhi’s life was cut short in an air crash near Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi. An avid pilot, Sanjay was at the helm of a brand new aircraft when he lost control and crashed. He sustained grievous head injuries and died on the spot. The Indira Gandhi government at the time salvaged Maruti Limited and looked for a collaborator for the new company. With the efforts of Dr V Krishnamurthy, Maruti Udyog Ltd was incorporated in the same year. The government approached Suzuki to submit the design and feasibility of the car to be manufactured in India. Suzuki came to know that the government had also approached Volkswagen AG for the same project at did its best to beat the German company in the race to produce India’s first People’s Car.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Suzuki then submitted a feasibility plan for their Kei car produced in Japan called the ‘Model 796’ The Model 796 was a very popular car in not only Japan but also in East Asia. When the Maruti 800 was launched one chilly December morning in 1983, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi delivered a speech to a packed auditorium. "And it is my desire that this motor car will serve the ordinary people of India and they will have no complaint about it. I hope it will contribute in every aspect of the nation building,” she said with tears welling in her eyes. That day was clearly a very emotional moment for the Iron Lady of India as not only was it Sanjay’s birth anniversary, it also marked the fulfilment of his dream for a “People’s Car”. Harpal Singh, an employee of Air India, was chosen as the first customer.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Back to the Maruti 800 then. The first generation of the ‘People’s Car’ for India came in three variants - Standard, with A/C and a Deluxe model. The Deluxe model was a feature rich modern with a digital clock, Stanley leather seats, Clarion Hi-Fi stereo system with two speaker, HVAC, tinted glass, three-point seatbelt, velvet floor mats and carpets! Some 20,000-odd Deluxe version were produced in the SS80’s lifetime and these models are the most sought after by SS80 enthusiasts. When it was launched in 1983, the SS80 came in through the CKD route with as little as 15% of localised parts. Later in 1985, localisation of parts went up to 27%. At Rs 48,000 the SS80 was cheaper than a Hindustan Contessa that was priced at a whopping Rs 80,000.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12550[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]The Maruti 800 came with some unique features that no other car in India at the time had. Some of the features were: [/SIZE] [LIST] [*][SIZE=14px]First front-wheel drive car in India[/SIZE] [*][SIZE=14px]Front wheel disc Brakes[/SIZE] [*][SIZE=14px]First four door hatchback in India[/SIZE] [*][SIZE=14px]First car in India to have headrests/head restraints[/SIZE] [*][SIZE=14px]First car to come with optional three point seat belts[/SIZE] [/LIST] [SIZE=14px]The SS80 commanded a premium like no there car in India then. Al allotment letter could fetch you Rs 20,000 in the grey market. Soon the car became a collector’s item with prices for the base Standard version hovering between Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh! The Deluxe versions cost more. The SS80s glorious production run finally came to an end in 1986 as it made way for the next-generation of the 800 which soldiered on till the end of it’s life in 2010 albeit with many changes over the years.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12549[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]PC: theautomotiveindia.com[/SIZE]

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/21"]JijoMalayil[/URL] yes, I agree with you. Maruti Suzuki should buy the car back and preserve it like the family wants. Everybody has fond memories of their first car. My parents were the proud owners of a 1996 Maruti 800 Standard. This was a slightly facelifted one that had a honeycomb grille instead of the slatted ones. Our Maruti never left us stranded on the road. Not even once. We used to drive from Trivandrum to Mangalore every summer to meet my grandparents and I have so many fond memories from these trips. We also did a Trivandrum to Madikeri and Coorg in that car, can't recall which year though. But we got the 'Coorg Wildlife Society' sticker just like [URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/6"]Roshun[/URL] has on all his cars.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/20"]NikilSJ[/URL] This will make a brilliant Zigwheels forum project car! But, on a serious note, Maruti should buy it back and preserve this for the future. Maruti 800 was one vehicle that revolutionized the Indian automobile industry. We all have owned a Maruti 800 once in our lifetime, too many memories :)

[SIZE=14px]Back in April 17, 2015, a friend of mine from college, Abhinav Rajput, who currently works for the Hindustan Times broke the story of the first ever Maruti 800 to be sold in the country “dying a slow death” in Green Park in New Delhi. The Maruti 800 is not in production anymore. However, it will always be remembered as the the car that taught India how to drive. When launched way back in 1983, there was no other car in the market like the 800. It’s diminutive size made it endearing to millions of people. [B]Harpal Singh and wife Gulshanbeer Kaur with their prized possesion.[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12504[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]On December 14,1983, Harpal Singh, a resident of South Delhi and an employee of Air India, received the keys to the first ever Maruti 800 to roll off the manufacturer’s plant in Gurgaon from then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi, who was working with Air India at the time, too was present at the ceremony. Harpal Singh became the first customer after winning an allotment for the car through a lucky draw. [B]Harpal Singh receives the keys to the Maruti 800 from then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12505[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Since the death of its owners, Harpal Singh and his wife Gulshanbeer Kaur, the car has been lying outside their house and gathering rust. Singh passed away in 2010 while his wife died two years later. Harpal Singh’s two daughters say they are unable to maintain the car even though they are emotionally attached to it. They also say that they are open to the idea of it being kept in a museum for future generations too. [B]DIA 6479 seen rotting outside the family's house in Green Park, South Delhi.[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12506[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Tejinder Singh, Harpal’s son-in-law says Maruti Suzuki had borrowed the car from Singh in 2008 to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary in India. But he added that Maruti Suzuki India hasn’t taken any interest in it when they requested the manufacturer to preserve the car.[/SIZE] [QUOTE][SIZE=14px]"We wish that Maruti preferably take it back towhere it originated from. We don't want any financial gains out of it but we only want that it to be preserved in a good fashion and Sardar Harpal Singh's name should be there that he was the first owner of this Maruti,” he said. [B]Source: [URL="http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/the-very-first-maruti-800-is-now-an-abandoned-rusting-car/story-QZWaKgJFFn5u6L80E8QkMP.html"]Hindustan Times[/URL][/B][/SIZE] [/QUOTE] [QUOTE][SIZE=14px]"After that it has shown no interest towards its first baby. We even wrote letters around a couple of years back to the company to do something to save this piece of history but they have not shown any interest," Ahluwalia added.[/SIZE] [/QUOTE] [SIZE=14px]The story goes that Harpal had sold his Fiat when he bought the Maruti 800. He took pride in owning the first ever Maruti 800 and drove it for the rest of his life. When Maruti launched the Zen, his family advised him to upgrade to the new hatchback but Harpal was dead against selling his prized possession for a new car.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Harpal Singh, his younger son-in-law Amardeep Walia says, was very attached to the Maruti 800. "People were ready to pay more than Rs 1 lakh (its actual cost was Rs 47,500 then) to my father-in-law to buy it, but he never even contemplated such a move.” [B]Harpal Singh's family (L to R): Govinder Pal Kaur, Tejinder Ahluwalia, Amardeep Walia, Sunit Walia.[/B] Photo Courtesy: Virendra Singh Gosain - HT Photo[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12507[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Govinder Pal Kaur, Harpal Singh’s daughter remembers the time she spent in the car fondly. "We felt very lucky when we got the first Maruti car as we were from an ordinary family. We thought of it as a gift from God. When we got the car, it became a part of the family," Kaur said.[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]After the report by Hindustan Times, [URL="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/first-maruti-800-rusting-india-steps-up-to-restore-the-grand-old-car/story-A1yBBpKgDlfnUbh4z1xwMI.html"]many came forward to help restore the car[/URL] and buy it. Even Maruti Suzuki’s spokesperson said the manufacturer was ready to talk to the family if they want to sell the car back to them. [B]Following the Hindustan Times report, many people have come forward expressing their interest to buy and restore the car.[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px][ATTACH=CONFIG]n12508[/ATTACH][/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]Hindustan Times quoted the spokesperson as saying, ”It is indeed very special, as it was our first customer car. Mr Harpal Singh had maintained it with great care. If the family now wants us to buy it back, we are open to discuss it with them.”[/SIZE] [SIZE=14px]After Hindustan Times broke the story, Malayalam news channel Mathrubhumi reported that Malayalam actor Mammotty was interested in buying the car. The actor is well known for his penchant for cars and gadgets and said he was keen to buy the car to “preserve the national history around it.” Mammootty, the report said, had three Maruti 800s in three different colours - red, silver and white.[/SIZE] [QUOTE][SIZE=14px]"Maruti Suzuki has made three proposals. They offered to showcase the car in a museum in Japan., but we cannot go to Japan even if we wish to see the car again. The company then offered to keep the car either at its corporate office or the factory. A group that runs a five star hotel too has contacted us. But I have not heard anything from this actor," Tejinder Ahluwalia told the News Minute. Source: [URL="http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/reports-say-mammootty-wants-buy-first-maruti-800-sold-india-owner-says-not-true"]News Minute artice[/URL][/SIZE] [/QUOTE][SIZE=14px]These reports have piqued my interest in the first Maruti 800 to be ever sold in the country. Now, I’m going on a little hunting trip of my own to find the car and possibly take a couple of pictures of it too. However, I just hope that the DIA 6479 Maruit 800 doesn’t rot away outside the house. Ideally, I would love it if Maruti Suzuki India takes the car back to where it came from and preserve it for future generations thereby honouring the family's wishes.[/SIZE]