Posted on 01/08/2008 6:10:00 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
Around noon on January 10, the massive Tata Motors pavilion at the Pragati Maidan would be the place to be, if you are a chronicler of history or an industry specialist or just a plain automotive enthusiast. At that time Ratan Tata will take the covers off the Tata people's car which has been dominating mindspace both inside and outside the industry for its sheer concept and execution since the better part of a decade.
The obvious need to provide a more stable, safe and protective set of basic transportation at an affordable price point to the Indian masses who prefer to be astride a two-wheeler was what got the Tata car project going in 1997. The genesis for this car took in a lakh as inspiration, one hundred thousand rupees being the target selling point and the team went to work, conjuring up an all weather car with seating for four and with a modicum of performance allied to low operating costs.
Earlier it was perceived that the car would be go down the same route as some microcar makers had shown, bare bones basic and almost akin to a four-wheeled autorickshaw. However all that changed midway through the project when Tata decided, in the face of zealous skepticism and also the apparent living in denial allegations from other more illustrious car makers that such a car could even be thought of at the price point outlined. Out went an easy approach to doing a four-wheeled autorickshaw and in came strong design and processes which went beyond prevailing thought.
Reinventing the manufacturing process (and minimizing that as well) was one mantra to meeting the rigid six figure price point while innovative product design and packaging brought its own worth to the table. A third aspect—as important as meeting the price and mission objective—was getting component makers to also question and challenge all prevailing work and design approaches and come out with practical solutions that were logical, contemporary and effective without being overly complex.
What will be revealed on January 10 will be a properly designed and built car which could have been done by any other car maker in the world but they shied away from this. Credit the team led by Ratan Tata for sticking doggedly to their task and beavering away for almost a decade to come up with what promises to be the most cost effective people's car in the history of the automobile. On this count itself India has shown the way forward and while many lived in outright skepticism of this, only know is there grudging recognition form the majority behind the viability of such a car. Of course strong praise has come forth from none other Renault's Carlos Ghosn, the man who knows all about value engineering and cost shredding. Ghosn has been the first within the international automotive world to have seconded Tata's concept and given it the ultimate accolade by announcing a rival to it!
Yes, Auto Expo 2008 will be notable for the spate of small cars and small car announcements from domestic and global players. The Tata people's car will dominate mindspace but there will be strong stuff from many other OEMs as well. Fiat Auto will be showing off its small car skills with the Grande Punto and Linea saloon which will get an Indian-premiere at the expo on January 9.
Both these models will be made in India later in 2008 but the interesting bit is that Fiat would also be bringing in its Cinquecento city car and the Bravo as CBUs in the second quarter of the year. Alfa Romeo is already mentioned but the bigger story on the Italian front would be an announcement of the Prancing Horse getting ready to gallop in India.
So if a woman buys this car, and someone says “Nice Tata’s”...what then?
;)
Surely it’ll never pass US safety and pollution standards.
| Symbol | Indian Rupee | Exchange Rate |
U.S. Dollar | Bid | Ask | |
| INRUSD=X | 100000 | Jan 8 | 0.02546 | 2,546.14893 | 0.02546 | 0.02551 |
With the price being so low, I wonder where they outsourced the manufacturing from.
Why should the Indians care about US law?
Bodacious tata motors.....
....now with too front fun bags......
Tata is like India’s GE, a huge conglomerate:
Tata Motors
Tata Projects
TCE Consulting Engineers
Telco Construction Equipment Company
TRF
Voltas
Tata Advanced Materials
Tata Steel
Tayo Rolls, India’s largest roll manufacturer and supplier
Tata Tinplate
Tata Power
Rallis India
Tata Chemicals
The Indian Hotels Company
THDC
Tata-AIG General Insurance
Tata-AIG Life Insurance
Tata Asset Management
Tata Economic Consultancy Services
Tata Financial Services
Tata Investment Corporation
Tata Quality Management Services
Tata Share Registry
Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG) is one of the largest consulting firms in South Asia.
Tata Services
Tata Ceramics
Infiniti Retail
Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company
Tata Tea Limited is the world’s second largest manufacturer of packaged tea and tea products. It also owns the Tetley brand of tea sold primarily in Europe.
Titan Industries manufacturers of Titan (watches)
Trent (Westside)
Tata Sky
Computational Research Laboratories (CRL)
INCAT
Nelco
Nelito Systems
SerWizSol
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) is Asia’s largest software company with 2006-07 revenues being over US$ 4.3 bn.
Tata Elxsi is another Software and Industrial design company of the Tata stable. Based in Bangalore. One of the leading companies in the animation industry of India.
Tata Interactive Systems
Tata Technologies Limited
Tata Teleservices
Takeovers
Feb 2000 Tetley tea company, $407 million
March 2004 Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company, $102 million
Aug 2004 NatSteel’s steel business, $292 million
Nov 2004 Tyco Global Network, $130 million
July 2005 Teleglobe International Holdings, $239 million
Dec 2005 Millennium Steel, Thailand, $167 million
Dec 2005 Brunner Mond Group, $120 million
June 2006 Eight O’Clock Coffee, $220 million
Nov 2006 Ritz Carlton Boston, $170 million
Jan 2007 Corus Group, $11.3 billion
March 2007 Bumi Resources, $1.1 billion
April 2007 Campton Place Hotel, San Francisco, $60 million
Targets
Jaguar Cars and Land Rover, $2 billion each
Close Brothers Group, $2.9 billion
Orient Express Hotels, $2.5 billion
Between the Punto and the Tata, I’m not sure which way it’ll go...sounds more like a porn convention than a car show.
Drive the Dodge....but see me for the tatas.
Tata Motors announces it newest model the Double D-X.
I remember driving the roads in India, back in the seventies. Tata made all of the Trucks (Public Carriers, as the called them). These vehicles were perpetually overloaded, without brakes, going too fast and could be found on either side of the road. Seeing the TATA Logo coming at you at high speed with apparent intent to kill was a daily occurance.
I can still see that logo in my dreams. I’m lucky I don’t have it embossed on my forehead.
If you go to this web page: http://www.desispin.com/journal/?currentPage=3 and scroll down, they have a picture of the Rs 1 on the test track.
Hmmmm.
Some things are the same no matter where you go!
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