Will Indians Purchase Plastic Tatas?
Get your mind out of the gutter– this is an automotive blog. And anyway, despite rumors of a plastic car (heard today on the Paul Harvey newscast no less) The Hindu Business Line reports that the new Tata will have a traditional steel body and the usual bits and pieces. The Rabbit-sized ride will sport a rear-mounted 600cc engine. While it doesn't have an official name yet, the "One Lakh Car" (100,000 rupees, or around $2,400) will be priced within reach of India's growing middle class. Considering the tiny profit margin involved (about three percent), they'll need to sticker that low to generate enough volume to turn a profit. (Ain't capitalism grand?) Currently, Indian autos are priced well out of the economic mainstream; about eight in 1000 Indians owns a car. What's that you say? Safety? Well, it can hardly be less safe than the mopeds favored by most of India's population. Perhaps it'll give us something other than China's dismal safety ratings to talk about.
I'm a computer security geek raised in Nebraska and recently transplanted to Atlanta. I like me some cars, got into car geekery a few years ago and haven't looked back since. I also volunteer at a local ferret shelter and participate in various charity and fund-raising events related to that.
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We can talk about the wide panel gaps and how this affects our perception of quality (and fit and finish) while marveling at the dent-resistance qualities of the car.
Sounds like the modern incarnation of the Model T.
"C" class?
Imagine that street scene, now replace those bicycles and carts with cars -- makes perfect sense, doesn't it?