Step Aside, Maharishi: The Mahindra & Mahindra Cult Is Coming!

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Mahindra & Mahindra’s abortive plans to bring its rugged diesel-powered pickups to the US have garnered quite a cult following here at TTAC. We follow the impending coming of M&M religiously. And now we demand license fees for the continuously coming cult car.

M&M has taken the cult concept to heart.

“We want to be India’s first global cult brand,” Anand Mahindra told Automotive News [sub]. They want to do that with the help of Korea’s Ssangyong which M&M bought on the cheap after it had been abandoned by China’s SAIC. This had caused a minor civil war around the Korean plant. Says AN:

“The company switched owners four times, faced bankruptcy and suffered one of the most violent strikes in modern Korean history in 2009. Workers in that clash took control of a plant for almost three months, using iron pipes and Molotov cocktails to battle air and land police commandos armed with tear gas and water cannons.”

How the cult will come together is anybody’s guess. The article is long on to which schools Anand Mahindra went, and that he is an avid Twitterer, but it lacks specifics of the coming cult.

Take it from someone who’s been there, Mahindra: The only cult that counts in the business is the cult of the golden calf by the name of sales & profits.


Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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11 of 18 comments
  • Jeremie Jeremie on Jul 31, 2011

    Mahindra makes well regarded tractors and sells them in the USA. I was looking forward to them bringing that ugly little diesel pickup here, if only to spur other manufacturers into doing the same. But after years of teasing the whole thing fell apart. Now I don't take them seriously.

  • PintoFan PintoFan on Jul 31, 2011

    It's not the first time that a purveyor of automotive vaporware has decided to exaggerate claims about a non-existent product. Witness Toyota and the nonexistant FT-86, or FR-S, or whatever it's supposedly called.

  • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Jul 31, 2011

    "Oh, what a loon I am. Oh, I'm a loon." - Shirley McLoon

    • See 5 previous
    • Mazder3 Mazder3 on Aug 01, 2011

      @mazder3 Edward used "Helllllllo, Nurse!" on a Versa Turbo photo. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/05/call-me-mr-china/ I'm still waiting for somebody to paraphrase Baby Plucky on a poorly performing automaker.

  • Dave M. Dave M. on Jul 31, 2011

    I just noticed Yoko's voice on the recording; the pictures had Cynthia in them. My, my Lennon cut it mighty close.....

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