Cars in India

There are a load of new cars coming into India with a pace which is difficult to keep up. Good old days were amby and premier padmini, enter Maruti to shake up the old establishment....Daiwoo, Hyundai, Honda and so many now with different variants as well as price range to suite entry level car buyers to the super rich with a Bugati Veyron for 16.5 crores.

Cars are an extension of each individual's personality and one associates and makes mental notes about people and what their status would be seeing the car that they travel in, surely there are exceptions, people who really love cars and like them for the machines that they are rather than a mode of transport or a status symbol.

Most times one sees fancy cars which cost a bomb being driven by a chauffer!! because most times such cars are all about people who want to be `seen' rather than actually enjoy their mean machines. People buy automatic transmission and the chauffer is still driving!! does it make any sense? certainly not to me.

I am deeply passionate about automobiles, bikes and my interest goes beyond what one is driving or `seen' in. Automobiles to me are `living beings' and absolutely a part of my family.

It pains me when someone mis-uses or abuses their cars and at times to great amusement of my family when I comment upon a car, its condition, tyres out of alignment etc. This is just a car that is in front of us traveling and of no particular familiarity to me. Strange as some would call it but then I cannot help noticing things which are nice or not so nice....guess it comes with years of experience behind the camera.

Modern cars come with tons of features and newer technology which is more than welcome, however for us car freaks it means less DIY [Do it yourself]. It was great fun tinkering with older vehicles which were more `manual' and depended less on electronics. M800 was one such car wherein one Sunday every couple of months was reserved to `tune' it up. Starting with cleaning of spark plugs, checking the contact points, checking the timing, cleaning of airfilter and the works...well the 800 moved hands and now I am with newer car which I can hardly practice my DIY skills on. However whatever I can manage without going into areas which are not known I still love to do on my ride. That reminds me its due for its beauty treatment, a good hand wax job which I religiously do before the rains come in.

More of my thoughts in my next.

Cheers

Cyrus