Sunday, February 10, 2002		Article

AUTO Expos come and go but leave a lasting impression. Auto Expo 2002, Wheels of Change, as the C.I.I. referred to the event, was held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from January 15 to January 22. A vintage and classic car display was one of the highlights of the show. The cars brought back memories of bygone days.

Cars from the 20s and 30s rubbed shoulders with the latest of the new-age cars. It was possible to see a 50-year-old Mercedes and then cross to Hall No. 10 to see the 500 SL Mercedes, hailed as the most technologically perfect car ever built.

Hall No. 10 was definitely the most glamorous one. As you entered the hall, you saw Mercedes cars on the right of the aisle and Skoda on the left. It was an awesome display of technology, style and class, above and beyond what the rest of the world had to offer.

Mercedes had the E-class, M-class, S-class, SLK-class roadster, C-class sports couple and the A-class. One thing that was not debatable, they all had class!

Skoda had all the versions of the Octavia and Fabia. Skoda is an almost 100-year-old manufacturer of repute and now with V.W. at the helm of its affairs, these offerings could be among the best buys in India.

In a deluge of innovative ideas and new designs some things do get overshadowed. Especially, when the spotlight is on major players who did not attend the event. They make a loud statement by keeping away.

Auto-magazines, the high-pundits who have their fingers on the pulse of the auto industry, decided to give away awards a la Hollywood Oscars to the best players in the auto world. With the spotlight on major accomplishments, some minor yet important accomplishments went unnoticed.

One of the cars that should have been awarded for being a good buy was the Reva, also called ‘electri-City’ car. A cute-looking ugly duckling, the car runs on electrically charged batteries. It seats two adults and two children, preferably small. When fully charged, it runs 80 km at a fraction of the normal cost. It boasts comforts like a heater and a de-mister. It is made in Bangalore, where some cars are already on the road and costs just about Rs. 2.5 lakh. Quiet, non-polluting, extremely ‘fuel’ efficient, it could well be the car of the future.

If there was an award for innovation it would have gone to an illiterate farmer from Gujarat. He had a Taurus — an Enfield Bullet with a diesel engine — which he used to take milk to the city. That was in the mornings. The rest of the time the bike stood idle. So he removed the rear wheel, put on a small differential and converted the bike into a three-wheeler. It worked. To this contraption he can add a plough, a hoe and a seed-drill. He plants vegetables in about 10 acres of farmland with the help of this Enfield-turned-Taurus-turned-tractor. It takes about 30 minutes for him to convert it back to a bike and start the milk run. Sometimes the untrained mind has a larger vision. All this was made possible by the Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network, GIAN.

Amaron batteries unveiled the future of batteries. A car battery is being offered with a 3-year warranty and a 12-month free replacement warranty. Push starting cars will be a thing of the past. For the first time a genuinely "no maintenance" battery is being offered. Completely sealed, there will no topping up ever. This will eliminate one unavoidable and important maintenance procedure on your car.

There was yet another ‘invention’ — the Juggernaut, an offering from Bajaj Tempo. A mean-looking and intimidating, battering ram. It had "I wannabe Hummer when I grow up" written all over it. By the end of the second day on view it had affectionately been nick-named "Bummer!". It is a huge vehicle riding on 19.5-inch tyres (trucks use 20-inch tyres). The engine is equally huge, a 3.25 litre diesel putting out a 100 bhp, 5 cylinder turbo-charged, inter-cooled, DI engine. It is Bharat Stage II compliant. It has all modern devices like AC, heater electric windows, power-assisted steering, the list goes on.

Bajaj Tempo also showed-off the Gurkha — a Trax derivative that is being exported. Displayed in shining black and chrome it hardly looked like what we are used to seeing on the roads. It is a genuine 4x4 off-roader.

The Bhageera, all set to compete with the Boleros and Sumos, was a pleasant surprise from Bajaj Tempo.

Rattan Tata unveiled the 3-box Indica. The 3-box Indica presents a new profile, one that looks slightly off-balance but is 100 per cent Indian.

The San Storm, the first made-in-India convertible sports car should be on the roads by year-end. It has a Renault D7F MPFI petrol engine with a 1200 cc capacity. The body is made of fibreglass-reinforced composites, superbly sculpted to offer a good-looking open 2-seater. Except for the engine, all other parts are made in India. The San Storm will be followed by the San Dune!

The most awesome motorbike on display was the Honda Gold Wing. An 1800 cc six cylinder, horizontally opposed, liquid cooled engine drives this car on two wheels. The Contessa has an 1800 cc, 4 cylinder in-line engine. The Gold Wing has a double shaft drive.

Hero Honda had a simulator, which allowed a rider to experience various simulated conditions. The simulator offers riding experience under all conditions and makes the driver aware of what to expect while on the road. A very sophisticated video game which can be an invaluable device to train riders.

Toyota, in addition to its Camray and Prado, also had on show the F1 racer which will make its debut on the F1 circuit this year. The Camray is designed to knock the socks off its competitors. It will be available within the next six months.

It was dead heat when it came to deciding which was the oldest continuously manufactured vehicle. The London Taxi and the Hindustan Ambassador, both dating back to the mid-50s, can claim that distinction. Of course, both inside and under the bonnet there are sea changes in both cars but the unmistakable silhouette is still the same. The biggest change is that the Black Cab as the London Taxi was called — is now available in any colour. The Ambassador sticks to beige and white.

Fiat had put on show the award winning Palio, Michael Schumacher’s F1 Ferrari and the extremely beautiful Alfa 166.

Hyundai had a stunning array of cars. From concept cars, to the keenly awaited Terracam, a 4x4 SUV which will give competition to Toyota’s Prado. According to sources at Hyundai it will be brought in as a Completely Built Unit (CBU).

Ashok-Leyland had an articulated bus, two buses joined together with a flexible tubular joint, something like the "joins" on a train that allows it to go around corners, and passengers to walk through to the next compartment. The Rs 25-lakh plus vehicle was parked outside and in typical Indian style, a brick was placed under the front wheel — there was no hand brake! Amazing! For that price and that size of a vehicle, I would want a very efficient hand brake.

With permission being given to import cars into India, existing manufacturers are going to be bringing in CBUs to fill in the gaps in the various segments. With this in mind Ford displayed the Ranger Splash, an SUV with 4x4, 2.5 litre, 4 cylinder, SOHC, inter-cooled turbo diesel engine. It has a sporty, aggressive look, a twin cab and an open rear deck. The Escape is another 4x4 off-roader from Ford. It is hailed as the ultimate get-away vehicle, a SUV with a 2 litre Z-tec engine. This will also be available as a CBU.

Dalip Chhabria, the most famous Indian auto designer, showed off his latest creation, the Infidel! Garage equipment, diagnostic equipment, accessories, stereos, extra lights, rings, pistons, and bearings, everything that goes to make a car was on a show. And it should come as no surprise that some made-in-India items are O.E. in some G.M. models, made in USA.

CNG kits are available for every car on our roads. However, all kit-suppliers were adamant on one point. The kit should be fitted by a trained and experienced engineer and should be from well-known manufacturers. An interesting fact came to light. The price of CNG in Mumbai is Rs. 19 as against Rs 12 in Delhi.

With numerous accessories being offered one item was conspicuous by its absence — head light washers. Every car on display that was not made in India was equipped with head light washers. In a muddy, slushy, monsoon-soaked country, we need them.

There was an incredible display of automotive items but obviously it’s never enough!