Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Car fire raises safety concerns for Tata Motors
yahoo ^ | Thu Mar 25, 3:51 pm ET | ERIKA KINETZ,

Posted on 03/26/2010 5:55:01 PM PDT by Touch Not the Cat

When it was launched less than a year ago, the $2,500 Tata Nano was promoted as a safe, ultra-cheap car for poor Indians, an alternative to the motorbikes that zoom precariously around the country.

New questions about the safety of the pint-sized auto are being raised, however, after one of them burst into flames Sunday as it was being driven home from the showroom.

Software engineer Satish Sawant, his wife and 5-year-old son escaped from the silver Tata Nano — which still bore a celebratory garland of marigolds on the front hood — before the tiny car was engulfed by fire.

A chauffeur initially was at the wheel, but Sawant said he had taken over driving before the fire broke out. Tata has offered Sawant a replacement Nano or a refund.

"My wife now doesn't want to buy any car," Sawant said by phone from his home in northern Mumbai on Thursday. "She doesn't even want to go for a Mercedes."

His ordeal showed just the latest problem with the low-cost Nano as Tata Motors sets its sights on global expansion and aims to ramp up production of the car with a new factory next month.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: flamingtatas; india; michigan; napl; savethetatas; tata; tatamotors; tatas
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-31 next last
"A brand new silver Tata Nano, heralded as the world's cheapest car, stands in flames on the suburbs of Mumbai, India, Sunday, March 21, 2010. The car belonging to Satish Sawant, a software engineer, burst into flames as he was proudly driving it home from the showroom, draped with a celebratory garland of marigolds. Sawant managed to get his wife and five-year-old son out of the back seat before the smoke billowing from the rear engine turned into flames that engulfed the tiny car."
1 posted on 03/26/2010 5:55:01 PM PDT by Touch Not the Cat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat
Oh, that Tata was on fire! I thought it was something along these lines:


2 posted on 03/26/2010 5:57:16 PM PDT by ironwill (III - Molon Labe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

Ban all marigolds—they cause fires.


3 posted on 03/26/2010 5:58:28 PM PDT by taillightchaser (When a democrat says "The American people" you know the next words out of his mouth will be lies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ironwill

.
YIKES!


4 posted on 03/26/2010 5:58:36 PM PDT by Touch Not the Cat (Where is the light? Wonder if it's weeping somewhere...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

“A chauffeur initially was at the wheel, but Sawant said he had taken over driving before the fire broke out. Tata has offered Sawant a replacement Nano or a refund.”

A chauffer? For that thing? Where’d they put the kid, on the hood? Tata taters.


5 posted on 03/26/2010 6:03:10 PM PDT by ReneeLynn (Socialism is SO yesterday. Fascism, it*s the new black. Mmm Mmm Mmm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ironwill

Even those smoking hot tatas can’t hide the fact that she is.... well.... unattractive. (Is it a she?)


6 posted on 03/26/2010 6:12:34 PM PDT by Nik Naym (My new business plan : open a chain of stores that sell hot tar, feathers, rope, and lamp posts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

His five year old was also in car....

A tot in a hot Tata.


7 posted on 03/26/2010 6:14:49 PM PDT by Nik Naym (My new business plan : open a chain of stores that sell hot tar, feathers, rope, and lamp posts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat; tubebender

And Toyota thinks they have problems!


8 posted on 03/26/2010 6:17:33 PM PDT by SouthTexas (Congress is out of order!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

They should change their name to Ronson Motors...


9 posted on 03/26/2010 6:23:56 PM PDT by Noumenon ("Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, that he has grown so great?" - Julius Caesar)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

Coming to a road near you.

10 posted on 03/26/2010 6:28:03 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (The Tree of Liberty ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ReneeLynn
A chauffer? For that thing? Where’d they put the kid, on the hood? Tata taters.

Does that make the kid a Tater Tot?

11 posted on 03/26/2010 6:33:53 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The Last Boy Scout)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat

I hate when that happens...


12 posted on 03/26/2010 6:36:03 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Big government more or less guarantees rule by creeps and misfits.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2
Does that make the kid a Tater Tot? U.... To your room!
13 posted on 03/26/2010 6:48:48 PM PDT by tubebender (You're never too old to have a happy childhood...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat
Waiting for the "Patel Squad" to cheer on the infallible superiority of India over the West in 3...2...1...

Cheers!

14 posted on 03/26/2010 6:55:25 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat; neverdem; SunkenCiv; Slings and Arrows; null and void; Lazamataz; Bender2; ...
Like, *PING*, dudes!

Bodacious TATAs.

What does a car fire do to the carbon footprint, anyway?

Cheers!

15 posted on 03/26/2010 6:57:21 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ReneeLynn

Many people in India hire drivers, as driving in India is challenging, and they don’t want to deal with the insane traffic.


16 posted on 03/26/2010 7:13:39 PM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Touch Not the Cat
...paging Apu...paging Apu...Will Apu please pick up the white courtesy phone?...
17 posted on 03/26/2010 7:24:42 PM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig

I think it also has to do with insurance, if you have money at all, you hire a driver who has nothing - a driver in a driver/pedestrian accident is always, automatically at fault.


18 posted on 03/26/2010 7:31:43 PM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: The Antiyuppie

I forgot the obligatory “hot-selling car” comment...


19 posted on 03/26/2010 7:33:17 PM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: ironwill

Who - or what - the H is that, anyway??


20 posted on 03/26/2010 8:57:12 PM PDT by greatplains
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-31 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson