Now, everyone would be like “Hey! Why are you writing a blog post on the Maruti 800? Have you lost your mind? Come on man, get over it! This guy is so boring!” Hear me out, people, and let me explain.
If you are an Indian, then I bet that you know this car. This car is arguably one of the most iconic cars in India, and the Indian subcontinent’s first dream car. This car started a revolution in the Indian car market. This car is India’s first family car. This car was the first four-wheeler of countless Indians, including Sachin Tendulkar and Manmohan Singh. This is the Maruti 800. But how did this tiny Japanese car become India’s sweetheart? How did it dominate the Indian car market? How did it start a revolution?
To give some background, let us go to the 60s and 70s. It was when India, as an economy, was slowly growing. Cars were a luxury, reserved only for the upper middle-class and rich people who could afford it. Plus, there was no fuel-efficient, cost-effective family car, that could fill the gap for people who could not afford the HM Ambassador and Premier Padmini, 2 of the most famous cars at that time in India. The problem with the Ambassador and Padmini was that they were big, heavy gas-guzzlers and they were not fuel-efficient. So even if you barely could afford the car, you would have to deal with the cost of filling petrol in the car, which was also expensive. Plus, the Indian automotive industry was not innovative. People were making their own versions of cars based on the cars available in other countries, just plain reverse-engineering. To give some examples, the HM Ambassador was inspired from the Morris Oxford, Premier Padmini was inspired from the Fiat 1100D. Plus, in the case of the Ambassador and the Padmini, those 2 cars continued for around 20 years, almost without any change or modification! Those 2 cars could take the rugged Indian roads, but no one was innovating. Plus, during those days, car production was nationalized, so it was not feasible for foreign manufacturers to sell their own cars, nor was it feasible for Indians to import better, foreign cars, because of the heavy import duties. It was a dream, even for the rich, to import better cars in India. This went on till the 80s. The time had come for Maruti to do something, which took the Indian car market by storm, and sparked a revolution.
Maruti Udyog Limited was founded by the Government of India on 24th February, 1981, as an initiative to produce more cars for cheaper, so that common people could afford them. But, they needed technical and engineering skills, to produce a car that is fuel-efficient, sleek, small, compact and affordable, and good for mass production, and they turned to Japanese engineering. In the early 80s, a Suzuki Motors director was in India, when he got to know that Maruti Udyog Limited was in need of a partner. He saw a business opportunity, because producing compact, fuel-efficient cars that are good for mass-production was what Suzuki, the Japanese company, was good at. So, in October 1982, Suzuki started a joint venture with Maruti. Later on, it will be known as Maruti Suzuki, which is now it’ s current name. The first car to come out of this alliance was, of course, the Maruti 800, which was born in 14th December, 1983. The Maruti 800 was front-wheel drive, which made it cheaper to construct and lighter, compared to the Ambassador and the Padmini. It was smaller, cheaper, lighter, and of course, more fuel-efficient. Thanks to Japanese engineering, it was surprisingly reliable, if compared to the other competitors. It instantly became one of the most successful cars India has ever seen! It remained the best-selling car in India, till 2004. In 1982, Maruti Suzuki opened it’ s first manufacturing plant in Gurugram, Haryana. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the one who inaugurated the Gurgaon plant. She gifted the first Maruti 800 on December 1983, to Mr. Harpal Singh, an Indian Airline employee. The car remained his prized possession till he died. He loved the car so much, that he never upgraded to another car! The 800 was so good for quick mass-manufacturing, that the factory boasted that it produced a new car every 800 minutes! The first Maruti 800, was a small five-door hatchback. It had a small 800 cc engine, and made a tiny, 37 horsepower. But, that did not matter. Because the 800 was meant for providing a value-for-money, economical car for the masses, which it did. Indians went crazy when the first generation Maruti 800 came out. It was an instant classic and it became a status symbol for the Indian middle class. When the first 800 came out, 1,20,000 customers made the bookings for it immediately! It was available at a rather decent price of Rs. 47,500. People went so crazy that some people had to wait for their orders for three years for their 800 to get to them! The first customer had to be selected by a lucky draw! This is how, slowly, because of the release of the 800 and the growth of the Indian economy, more common people were able to afford to buy a car. So, the Indian passenger car market grew, from 40,000 units in 1983 to 1.5 lakh units in 1987. Because of the 800’s instant and unbelievable success, it made Maruti Suzuki what it is today- India’s largest auto manufacturer with the highest sales. In May 2021, Maruti – Suzuki continues to maintain it’ s chart topping performance. It currently still is India’ s largest car manufacturer. But, it all started from the humble, dream car, the 800. After the 800, Maruti Suzuki started releasing new models, like the Omni minivan in 1984, and India’s iconic off-roader, the Gypsy. A few years later, in 1990, Maruti Suzuki launched it’s first sedan, the Maruti 1000, which was later known as the Esteem. All 3 of these vehicles also were successful. The 800 got a refresh in 1987, with minor upgrades, but it remained the same car. This is how slowly, Maruti Suzuki started releasing new models, and it still continues to dominate the Indian car market. The formula of making cheap, reliable, economical, small and front-wheel drive cars for the masses made Maruti Suzuki’s presence felt in the Indian market. It was, and I think still is, the most economical option for a family car that lasts. The 800 was later phased out, in 2010, because of stricter emission norms, it was getting old, and it had a successor, that was another iconic car. The Alto. The Alto was released in 2004 and it surpassed the 800 as India’s best-selling car. Because of globalization of the Indian economy, newer cars started coming in India with more advanced technologies, which made the 800, a value-for-money option. On 18 January, 2013, production was completely stopped. The last car was sold in 2014, to a dealer in Shillong. This is the story of the Maruti 800, and it’ s legacy. This is the story of how a tiny, Japanese car became an Indian icon, a legend in the Indian auto industry. Everyone knows Maruti Suzuki as the most successful car brands in India today. So many options for an affordable family car would not have been available today if it weren’t for the Maruti 800. The Maruti 800 is loved, even today by car enthusiasts and people from all other walks of life, because of the economical, reliable, fuel-efficient and loved car that it is. Currently, it is succeeded by the Alto 800. Maruti Suzuki created a car for the masses, and fulfilled the dream of many Indians, to get a car of their own.
Thank you for reading my blog!!!
