[da_lowrider]

Originally Posted by GTO

• If you had to drive on the highway, you were expected to carry along extra hose pipes & rubber belts for your Padmini / Ambassador.

And tubes for the tyres, just in case! Also, a big bottle of water to top up the radiator (if required).

Sorry, I know these aren't essentials but couldn't help but remember these things.

[pariwar]

Time - Mid To Late 70's / Very Early 80's

My family used to own the Standard - Herald. What a vehicle that was. Besides local city duties, we also had some memorable trips of Mumbai-Lonavala & Mumbai-Nashik. Can still recollect the incident of the engine over heating on the Lonavala ghat section, vehicle forcibly stopped because of fumes emanating from the bonnet, father opening the radiator cap and jumping back as a flume of red hot water burst forth. We had to wait for quite some time for the radiator to cool before attempting the ghat section once again. Sure, the vehicle was overloaded for its size with grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and us three small kids.

[H Karter]

Looks like the thread is a refreshing journey of car memories for Car Nuts born in the 80s who have closely seen the transition.

Born in 1983 and its hard to tell when I became an enthusiast, but my parents say I had a habit of moving my fists as if I was throttling a bike, since I was a baby!
Myself, I recall of pointing out my father about the sliding doors on the Omni (Maruti Van then) when I was just 3 years old!

At a marriage ceremony in the early 90s, I saw the Tata Estate for the first time. I voraciously peeped inside-out to know what all features it had and was completely blown away to see that it even had rear AC vents.
Detail thread from where the image is taken:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ta-estate.html (The Forgotten MUV of 90's - Tata Estate)



Imagine how much time it required to make such a feature mainstream today!

It was like a feast in marriages and house warming ceremonies to have a gathering of new car and bikes. In another such ceremony, I stumbled upon a Maruti SS80's (Maruti Car) rear axle:


I was astonished & curious to find out, how on earth did the wheels get power? All India made vehicles were rear wheel driven then. I was equally heartbroken to find out that the cute little car was FWD. (Also the Matador was!)
Now the next question quickly arose to my mind, what was my current favourite car be like? Had to lean down on the ground and was happy to find out that the Tata Estate was RWD!
Mind you, I was just 9 years old and was already into PDI for my first vehicle!

A little Off Topic, but a brief window in the License Raj gave us the four Indo Japanese Trucks which had more desirable interiors than most of the cars available then: (Pardon me for the Image quality and due credits to owners of Images collected from Google Image search)

[vinya_jag]

Yes, the Dolphin.

I remember my parents taking me to Jayanagar shopping complex, on our TVS, and I would immediately recognize the Dolphin. (There were two white cars that would be parked near the complex, an 800 and the other, the Dolphin). And my parents would proudly claim that their kid would recognize the Dolphin, which was difficult for them too

The 80s, for me, mostly went without any/ many car rides. The only ones that I could remember, were the rides on our Grandfather's office Jeep (Roplas, it read. I couldn't find an image). A few drives from Mysore to KRS, and a few trips around Mysore, were the only ones that I could remember.

I used to hate the Amby, for the way it looked, preferred the Fiat over it. The 800 somehow never impressed me. Those Amby taxi rides were also mostly forgettable. Seating three abreast in the front seat, and the car filled with passengers, my place would usually have been next to the gear lever, trying to lift my leg everytime the driver would change gears. But I loved the honk wheel (Inner wheel on those steering wheels. Also, did the Amby have the gear lever next to the steering?)

90s also went without many car excursions. I remember, us friends, while going on our bicycles, count the number of Ford escorts, and Astras. I chose Escort, and my friend would choose Astra, and some days, I won, while other days, he won.

I also remember a day, when I was talking to my Grandfather's brother, who worked in a Bank. He had a lot of money to buy a car, and never bought one. (or, that was what everyone talked about), and one day I asked him, why he wouldn't buy one. So, he explained to me, how much a car cost, and I said, so why don't you buy one, and then he explained how much the running cost of it was, a month, and how much his monthly salary was. This was an enlightening moment I had, that day.

And then, the dramatic shift happened, the world woke up to the India car scene. Santro, Indica, Matiz happened, and the rest is for another day

[BeemerBug_06]

Nice thread ! Although I'm not a 80s or early 90s kid , I have been lucky enough to have grown up alongside the most late 90s-early 2000s cars. The 90s and early 2000s were definitely the Golden Era of the Indian Car Scene. Cars were a lot simpler and easier to understand and now that I drive and have driven a good few older cars, I can say they are nicer and more involving to drive too ! As for the cars we owned , the first car my dad bought with his own money was a used Premier 118 NE in 1990.
It was a nice car to drive I hear, but rusted terribly and had poor build quality. Was sold after 3-4 years, after undergoing a full body repaint once.

That was followed by our first brand new car, a white Maruti 800 ACTG( Dx variant had been dropped for the time being) . It was driven out of MS' new showroom at Phoenix Mills in Bombay. The 800 was sold in 2002, to make way for a brand new Wagon R.

In 1999, we got a nice green Maruti Zen. As a kid it was probably, the first car I ever saw and loved . But gave it away to a family member , due to lack of use from our end .

In 2002, we got a Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi. It was a used car , had only 6000km on the clock, and I absolutely loved it, so did everyone else. It was green and I can confidently say that it is the car that helped ignite my passion for cars !

All that said, I just had to own one slightly older car to experience some pure driving pleasure and have a share of fun, so here's my ZEN

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by F1-Addict

New kid on the block:-
Of course, post that, I kept a keen eye out on the cars being introduced and soon got to hear of a car called "Maruti 800". It was designed in Japan and was the talk of all the boys meetings downstairs in the building. We started to see a few on the road and were amazed by its size and looks - everybody wanted one. Then over the years, Maruti just kept releasing one model after the other and the public were absolutely loving it. The Gypsy, the Omni, 1000 (later Esteem), etc. and the rest as you know, is history.

I was 12 when my Dad bought the M 800 in 1989 , the same model in the picture. The colour was brown. IIRC, he was the second owner and had paid around 60000 Rs. We had many memorable trips, one being from Kerala to Chennai. I remember my dad upgrading the tyres to MRF Sigma and even fitted two auxiliary lights on the bumper. Every screw in that car had Made in Japan written. The car was later sold to Dad's friend.

After learning driving from a school, this was the 1st car I drove and remember fighting with Dad to get behind the wheels. I used to accompany him whenever he had to travel far just to drive the car. We had prior understanding on how long each of us get to drive because he was a driving enthusiast too .

[1.2TSI7DSG]

The only SUVs that dominated the scene then were the jeeps of Mahindra. In cities, there was Toyota Sera the poor man's ferrari. Starlets, Crowns used to be uber luxury stuff.

Morning starts used to be a push start because of the starter motor getting stuck.
Long trips had a bunch of spares. Every ghat base had good hotels and mechanics, (ramakant vadapav, shridutta misal, Dogra dhaba around mumbai). These were places to cool off the cars and top up radiator water lest it overheated in the ghat.
Gearshift used to be on the steering column, gears used to constant mesh. It used to need a lot more planning to shift smoothly without screeches form the car.

AC, decks, orvms used to be an aftermarket accessory. Cars used to have "dash fans", curtains and windshield shades (like caps) on ambys and fiats.

Khandala ghat used to be rhotang pass. What massive inclines and twisties... Drive up and down once a week, you have great muscles due to the steering and clutches and brakes. No power steering remember!

Front seat could seat 3(5 at times), the car(fiat sized) could to seat 12 . I used to be in the middle operating wipers in monsoon. I feel like an intermittent switch in retrospect No demisters meant monsoon drives used to have a person wiping the inner windshield.

Last but not the least... Driving used to be a skill. No esp, abs, (or seatbelts) a lot more focus was required to drive a car. Horrible roads, no facilities (like malls, gps) used to make us talk to the strangest people to ask directions, next fuel bunk, road conditions, ETA.

I miss the way we travel(and currently the travel all together)

[Rajat347]

When I was 10 Years Old , Year 1997

1) My Father Still Owned a Bajaj Priya. It was 3 geared scooter without side indicators which he purchased from Delhi because there was no scooter showroom in Jammu way back in 1979.

2) Same Year, it was a time to upgrade because a car was very important for a family. Hence, Maruti 800 came home. It had rectangular eyes, flat bonet and I learnt driving on it.

3) It was a time to say good bye to Bajaj Priya because of RC renewal issues, so we welcomed Bajaj Super to Home. This time the scooter was sporting 12 Inch wheels, side indicators and a basket so that we can put our school bags there. I Still remember, it had manual lock and the engine can be started without even unlocking the scooter. Tilting scooter to 45 degrees in winters so that it can start. No lock on petrol tank and it was very well exposed between pillon and rider's seat. I was fascinated with LML Vespa that time which was way modern to it. I am still wondering why Bajaj didn't bother to put a lock on the petrol tank ? The scooter was later donated to our driver.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by 1.2TSI7DSG

.No demisters meant monsoon drives used to have a person wiping the inner windshield.

I recall doing that duty in our 800.

One of my vivid recollections from around around the early 90s is a Standard-2000 going down the road beside our house around evening with the headlights ON and it literally looked like a spaceship from some other planet

Another unforgetable incident is when we were looking around to buy a car in the late 80's. Was pleasantly surprised on returning from school to see a Premier Padmini which my Dad had got home from an acquaintance to try it out and we would buy if we liked it.
So we all went on a long drive and while driving on a river bridge, the car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. It had run out of fuel without any indication leaving us stranded. It was already turning dark and Dad hopped on to a passing moped while we waited in the middle of nowhere and got some fuel in a can then we drove back home after a harrowing ordeal.
It was decided then and there, never to buy a Premier Padmini and never to buy a second hand car.
We bought many more cars after that to this day and all have been new.

I remember going by train to another town, to a Maruti showroom, to book an 800 and we had to wait one full year before the car was delivered early 90's and the long drive on the highway back home in the brand new car back to the town where we lived. Towards the end of booking periods, there were people willing to offer extra money to those who had bookings and get the booking to their name and save the wait time.

Car's were rare and much more cherished back then that we had songs in movies with cars parked and hazard lights blinking while the hero and heroine danced around them and many other scenes with actors goofing around in cars.

We have come a long way and like most things, cars have become commoditized and nobody gives a second glance at most of them except enthusiasts like us.

[F1-Addict]

Originally Posted by rmz1088

The transition to radial tyres from normal retreadable tyre made a world of difference to the ride quality. I do not know the exact timeline, but I suppose it happened in early 90's.

Oh Yes!!! Thanks for bringing this up.
I remember wondering why was such a big deal being made about a tyre type?

It was made of rubber after all. The naive me

Originally Posted by anubhav7286

My favorite from that era was the Fiat UNO. A neighbor had it and I would always go wow on the F.I.R.E sticker on it. It was the era when usual cars didnt have any stickering.

Another brilliant memory. I actually remember me and a friend having an argument on the meaning of "FIRE". For some reason we thought it meant "Fuel Injection Retarding Engine".

By the way it stands for "Fully Integrated Robotised Engine".

You can read more about it here:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_...botised_Engine

[Ravi Parwan]

wow, trip down memory lane.
I remember my mother telling everyone that I learned my alphabets just so that I could sit in the jeep drivers lap and hold the steering.
we bought our first M800 in 86, also chocolate brown, and kept it for 18 years. it was made up of mostly Japanese parts, except for the rear shockers which we ruined through cramming two families into the car. (hard to believe now, but we travelled 4 adults and 5 children in that car for day trips in and around Haryana)
The other part that gave way was the exhaust pipe and silencer can, which rusted through thanks to the water vapour that condensed on it during short trips. I remember drivers and mechanics pointing out to the water drops being spit out which indicated that the engine was properly tuned...
That car went to Rohtang pass twice, in '96 and in '98 and was our go everywhere car, half of our extended family learned to drive on that car. we covered about 1.3 lakh KM in that car over its stay with us.
It used to be ready to go after prolonged periods of inactivity and would start on a half self even after 15 days.
After a shift to Delhi NCR and the bumper to bumper traffic here, we realised that the non AC car was no longer suitable for our use. it spent longer and longer just parked.
we parted ways with it with a heavy heart and my mom also cried seeing it go. lots of memories with that car, but no enough photos since this was pre digital era and most photos were supposed to have people in them.

[anubhav7286]

Originally Posted by F1-Addict

Another brilliant memory. I actually remember me and a friend having an argument on the meaning of "FIRE". For some reason we thought it meant "Fuel Injection Retarding Engine".

By the way it stands for "Fully Integrated Robotised Engine".

You can read more about it here:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_...botised_Engine

Those were the days when you could not google FIRE, I had asked the neighbor and he mentioned it meant "Fully Itallian Robot Engine". I lived with that knowledge for a very long time.

[batladanny]

Wow this thread has jogged some memories. I was born in 92 so remember the latter part of the time period but those were some good memories.

• Possibly my earliest memory is of a toddler me traveling in an auto and stumping my parents by correcting that the passing car was an Esteem and not a MS 100 (identified by internal-opening fuel filler cap)
• I remember going with Dad to his driving lessons just so I could sit in a car. Also remember that driving school having a "Fiat" chassis in their office. Would occasionally spend the 30mins on its seat pretend-driving while my dad took his lessons.
• The Tata Sierra was my first love. My father's office had one and once every few months, he would get it home for the weekend and we would go to Tiku ji ni wadi along with Yusuf uncle, the office's driver.
• I remember seeing "two speedometers" in a family friend's Esteem. He then patiently explained to me what RPM and engine speed is.
• One time while returning from school with my designated auto uncle, we saw a Toyota Sera. While mindblown, I didn't know anything about it, but he knew that this is an imported model whose doors open upwards and then, knowing my love of cars, he gunned the auto and we chased the Sera on the western express highway, finally catching up with it when the owner stopped at the side for something. My auto uncle then rapped his knuckles on the window and requested the owner to show me the scissor doors and the guy smilingly obliged. That moment is still imprinted in my memory.
• I remember having weird nicknames for the humpback Omni and FE autos
• Surprisingly though, I do not have any particular memories of our family's 1st or 2nd cars — Premier Padmini, M800 — but the red jellybean Zen that we had after those is still very special to me.

[DicKy]

Since I was born in the early 90s and any Indian auto experience limited to just a couple of months summer vacation in our small town in the outskirts of a then tier-3 city, wouldn't be able to contribute much.

But, went out for an errand today, and an old 2 stroke autorickshaw passed by, whiff of the exhaust and memories came flooding by. So here is my 2 paise.

1. The air was blue and smoky - The city had tree lined roads alright, but the air was filled with diesel soot and 2 stroke smoke. Hmm...somehow reminds me of rubber mats, frooti juice and milkybar chocolates.

2. Ambassador, ambassador everywhere - White, cream, square parking lights, round parking lights, two spoke steering wheel, double ringed steering wheel, column shift, floorshift. Chrome door handles that I couldn't open, chrome window winders that were stubborn. The only thing I could operate were those tiny handles for the openable quarter glass.
Our joint family Ambys (private for our vacation, taxi for rest of the year) had a sweet incense smell inside every morning. While the lone sarkari babu uncle in the family had a Mark 2 which was mostly garaged and smelled musty.

3. First love - I don't remember it. My mother does. The first car I pointed at and cried for was a red Estate. Also made my aunt buy me a scale model yellow Sierra.

4. Marutis - Sorry. No 800 stories for me. Entered an 800 for the first time in 2007.
800, 1000, I thought there were more numbered models along the line.
My uncle's '91 Omni. Was my parent's wedding car, we bought it ~1997, lots of memories, long trips. The whole car was a welcome change from the dreary Ambassador interiors.

5. The roads were U shaped - How to put it? Erm.. The middle section of the roads were high, while the sides were sloped heavily, for easy drainage in the monsoons. Not just panchayat roads, even the NH. Add to that Ambassador's bench seat, curved windshield shape. Ugh...

6. Variety of models? - Ambassador, shrunken Ambassador (Premier padmini), Maruti Van/Omni, Maruti 800 ( fancy urban dwellers ), 1000 (a mythical model), jeep, jeep, jeep, Tata Shumo, (Sierras and Estates were mostly seen in movies), shrunken Benz for India ( W123 with respect to the W126 )

7. Hatred for round lights - Ambassador, shrunken ambassador, Omni, jeep, mahindra tempo, buses, autorickshaws, all 2 wheelers except KB, CD100 and Kinetic. Hated them for those round headlights.
Would cry for the Garuda(?) greaves autorickshaw to be hired since it had square headlights instead of the ordinary Bajaj/KAL ones. Guess the guy was pleased with my patronage, most people were put off by the NVH.

Weird, now surrounded by angry faces, yearn for round headlights to come back. Thar, Jimny, RE interceptor...saving up...

8. Y2K - Missed an year of summer vacation, came back to India after two years. The Ambassador looked small. The hottest cars were the yellow Zen and tinted glass Esteem. Lancers and Opels became lust-mobiles. Ford Ikon was boyracer-mobile. Camrys and Accords posed to enter the market. Motorcycles went silent. Benz started selling officially, so the hottest imports were Japanese SUVs.
Sorry, to be frank, can't wrap my head around the halo of Daewoo Cielo. Was it just a big city phenomena? Missed it

Hmm...Less crowded times. More casual feel. Could stop anywhere, park anywhere.
But then again senior BHPians would say the same for the 60s and 70s. Rose tinted nostalgia glasses effect!!!!

[Cessna182]

We still have a 2002 Esteem LXI as a daily city car. So far, it has run only 60k kilometers. Everything works. The running is so low that it doesn't merit buying a new car. The RC expires in 2022 and we might choose to scrap it then, but let's see.

The rear seat of the Esteem is very good- much better than the compact sedans sold today. Legroom is limited with 5 on board, but if you push the front seat forward this issue is solved. AC is okay, but takes time to cool the cabin. No modifications were done to the car, and it is always driven by a driver with one or two people at the back.

Even now, the maintenance is just under 4k a year. All parts are easily available. I'll share a review later.

Cars like the Astra and Cielo have vanished from Indian roads because the manufacturers stopped supporting them. Otherwise, they were brilliant products. In a way it was the Maruti 1000 that started changing customer perceptions about a sedan. It brought in unbelievable features like a proper HVAC and a modern dashboard in 1991. Esteem took it a step further with a better engine. Once exposed to these considerably better vehicles, customers who could afford that 1 or 2 lakh premium felt that there was no reason to keep buying the Ambassador, 118 NE and Padmini.

We often think that cars are becoming expensive, but an Esteem was sold for 6 lakhs in 2002. That was a lot of money, and you could buy a small apartment with that sum in many cities. Today a compact sedan costs about 7 lakhs and offers better safety, fuel efficiency and warranty. Technology has allowed companies to control prices over the span of 2 decades.