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MARUTI 800: Driving down the nostalgic lane

The Maruti 800 is not just a car but a nostalgia for every Indian.

*All images are sourced from the book - "The Maruti Story" - by R C Bhargava
The iconic compact hatchback by Maruti Udyog, a joint venture between the government and Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, must have sat or drove by everyone at some point.
Launched in 1983, the Maruti 800 gained tremendous popularity and was considered the most influential car in India. Although, it was discontinued from the Indian market in 2014 to make the way for its new model Alto.
In its 30 years’ journey, Maruti Suzuki India saw a transition from being a company to make cars for the common Indian, to becoming a globally recognized auto giant.

So, after 30 successful years of unmatched competition, here are a few interesting facts about the Maruti 800 you need to know:
The first owner Harpal Singh bought the car on 14 December 1983 for Rs 47,500. He received the key from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and never upgraded to another car.
It was the first front wheel drive car to launched in India. The last model was produced at Gurgaon plant for a customer from Shillong
Sachin Tendulkar wanted to buy it in 1983 – but he was short of cash – he arranged the money and then bought it, and it is still in his garage
The Maruti 800 was available in the Standard and AC variants.
The Maruti 800 was powered by a 796cc 3-cylinder petrol engine, which churns out 37Ps of power and a peak torque of 59Nm. It used to come mated to a 4-speed manual transmission gearbox.
The Maruti 800 can be opened with any other 800 key, if the key is a little worn out.
The Maruti 800 was the only car, whose top speed exceeded the speedometer marking. In 1997, the Maruti 800 sales ratio was 8:10, which means 8 out of every 10 vehicles sold in India was a Maruti 800.
Around 2.5 million models were sold and the Maruti 800 is a car that defined India for generations. Maruti has assembled equipment of around 1700 robots working and rolled out a new car in every 12 seconds.
Maruti launched the Alto in 2000, but by 2014, Alto replaced the 800 completely and it was forced out of the market.

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