The Maruti 800 Story

Maruti 800

As a little school going kid, I always used to stare at a light blue car that used to catch my attention every single day just outside my school gates. The compact car used to be a breath of fresh air amongst the bulky Ambassadors and the Premier Padminis that abounded urban streets at that time.

This little car looked racy and fast with it’s sharp angular lines, almost like a car that was waiting to be unleashed. The Ambys and Padminis looked flabby and round in comparison. The car I was besotted with once upon a time was none other than the legendary Maruti 800, the car that literally put India on wheels and got little boys like me dreaming.

Maruti 800 First Owner Harpal Singh Photo with Indira Gandhi

Maruti 800: Harpal Singh with Miss Indira Gandhi

Now, it is almost 26 winters from the chilly winter morning of 14th December, 1983. The day when the then Indian Prime Minister Miss Indira Gandhi handed over the keys of the very first Maruti 800 to a beaming Harpal Singh, in an elaborate ceremony held at the nation’s capital, New Delhi. Harpal Singh, who won the ownership rights to the car competing against other prospective owners, through a lucky draw, still owns that white Maruti 800 as his daily drive, a testimony to the compact car’s ruggedness and stellar engineering to suit India and it’s harsh and varied vagaries.

Notably, the Maruti 800 is the second longest Indian production car, next only to another legend, Hindustan Motors’ Ambassador. The launch of this car in a way was symbolic of the euphoria and pride that India was collectively going through as a nation, intially sparked by India’s triumph at the 1983 world cup.

Harpal Singh in India's first Maruti 800

The Maruti 800 was a collaborative effort between Indian state owned Maruti and Suzuki Motor Company of Japan. The first Maruti 800s were sold for a then princely sum of INR 48,000. Now, after 26 years the same Maruti 800 will cost you no less than INR 185,321. The Maruti 800 launched in 1983 featured a 796cc, three cylinder, carburetted engine pumping out 39.5 Bhp at 5000rpm.

This endowed the compact car with sprightly performance when compared to the staid and ponderous performance of other cars in the market, and endeared it to many a young soul. One such young soul called Sachin Tendulkar, fell head over heels for the Maruti 800. So much so, that the little genius bought a blue Maruti 800 as his first car.

Two legends met and predictably, history was made

Maruti 800 Blue Car

To suit and fit into the changing times, the Maruti 800 has evolved many times over to see many nips, tucks and even a new fuel injection system. But, the original 796 cubic centimeter capacity of the engine remained the same over the years, a symbol of the Maruti 800 remaining contemporary, yet rooted to it’s original design principles, that of an ultra reliable and economic car for the masses.

Maruti 800 fans and prospective owners had to wait for three long years before their favorite car got modern(for that time) luxuries like air conditioning and a music system. Along with these luxuries, the Maruti 800 got a new form factor, one that you and I can relate to and one that is relevant to this day.

This, however came at a steep price hike of INR 15,000. India being an extremely price sensitive market didn’t really warm up to air conditioning in spite of the scorching Indian summers. Predictably, the non AC version of the Maruti 800 outsold the AC version may times over.

Maruti 800 Engine

The Maruti 800, in essence is a direct reflection of the Indian buying patterns and the state of the mind of the average Indian car buyer. Hence, it comes as no surprise that many an MBA student chooses the Maruti 800 as the subject of choice for college dissertions. Deeply ingrained into the Indian psyche, that is what the diminutive Maruti 800 really is, and will continue to be for quite some time to come.

In a nutshell, the Indian auto industry began it’s rapid evolution with the Maruti 800 as one of it’s enduring symbols over the years. If all the 2.8 million Maruti 800 cars sold in the last 26 years were to be lined up, one could cover the distance between Kashmir and Kanyakumari over 3.6 times. And I will stick my neck out and say, the Maruti 800 is to India what the Volkswagen Beetle is to Germany. That, is some hallowed company, really.

Maruti 800 Car

After 1986, the Maruti 800′s next major update came more than a decade later, in 1997, when Maruti decided to soften the sharp angular lines of the Maruti 800 with a more jellybean design. Consumers didn’t take too well to this design while the Maruti 800 still soldiered on with brisk sales showing no signs of ebbing in spite of the not-so-liked new, softer shape.

1999 saw emission norms tightening and Maruti quickly updated the Maruti 800′s carburetor with fuel injection popularly known as MPFI technology. Along with the injectors, Maruti also added a 5 speed gearbox which was a vast improvement over the 4 speeder, especially in terms of cruisability and better matched gear ratios. The Maruti 800 EX also got better suspension in the form of gas charged shock absorbers and coil springs. This improved ride quality greatly.

Daewoo Matiz Car

While these changes, for the uninitiated car buyer would be just another regular product upgrade, there was more to this move than what meets the eye. Maruti was facing some competition, this after enjoying a virtual monopoly in the Indian small car space for almost a decade and a half. The challenger was the Daewoo Matiz which in 1998, brought plenty of news stuff like a seven star safety rating, more ride comfort and a peppy 52 Bhp 796cc, three pot motor with a 5 speed transmission.

Thus, Maruti responded with the Maruti 800 EX. So, the Maruti 800 EX was in fact a version, built mainly to take on the recently sprung up competition. While, the Daewoo Matiz met an early demise with parent company Daewoo going under, the Maruti 800 has gamely soldiered on for another decade, as a testament to it’s relevance and legendary stamina

Hyundai Santro Car

The Hyundai Santro followed the Daewoo Matiz and with competition hottening up, Maruti knew that it was time to find another car to fit the tiny Maruti 800s massive boots. In 2000, Maruti launched the Maruti Alto which was essentially a bigger, stylish version of the Maruti 800. Maruti plonked in the 45 Bhp 796cc, 12 valve engine of the Alto into the Maruti 800s engine bay and the result was a little more than spectacular. This added power gave the Maruti 800 enough punch to speed past the 140 Kmph maximum mark on it’s speedo, a feat that isn’t usually managed by most save for a few high performance supercars.

Meanwhile, the Maruti 800 outsold the Alto and continued to top sales charts, thus forcing Maruti to go back to a four speed gearbox and an engine with 2 valves per cylinder. After this move from Maruti and plenty of marketing to boot, the Alto finally managed to dislodge it’s elder brother, the Maruti 800 from the top of sales charts.

Maruti Alto Car

Ever since, the Maruti 800′s sales has being flagging by it’s lofty standards, even though the Maruti 800 still continued to consistently occupy the second place in sales charts. So, Maruti had to step in to stop people buying the Maruti 800 and shift to the Maruti Alto. Such was the popularity and brand recognition the Maruti 800 managed to achieve in it’s 26 long years of existence.

Meanwhile, Maruti introduced LPG and CNG variants of the Maruti 800 in 2002. Called the Maruti 800 Duo, the 800 featured factory fitted LPG/CNG fuel options along with minor facelifts like a newer grille and clear lens headlamps. Now, the Maruti 800 continues to find plenty of buyers predominantly in rural and semi urban areas who buy it as a rugged, no-nonsense economical hatchback. The urban small car buyers have moved on to the Alto.

Maruti 800 traversing the tough Himalayan terrain in Leh-Ladakh

A Maruti 800 traversing the tough Himalayan terrain

Reliability and durability has always been Maruti 800s forte. How else can you explain the Maruti 800 doing the Leh-Ladakh circuit more comfortably than a Mercedes Benz E Class. This is what the good folks at an auto magazine, Autocar India did a few years ago by driving to Leh in a Maruti 800 and a Mercedes Benz E Class, two cars at opposite ends of the price spectrum at that time.

The Maruti 800 managed to handle the tough, unforgiving Himalayan terrain with absolute aplomb, showing the pedigree of it’s impeccable engineering and bomb proof reliability, all at a dirt cheap price tag. Reliability, no less than a Mercedes Benz E Class costing twenty times more.Moving on, the Maruti 800 faced another challenge in 2008, this time from homeboy Tata Motors. Ratan Tata originally conceived the Tata Nano to be smaller yet offer more space than the Maruti 800, a testimony to the benchmark the Maruti 800 was.

While, he managed to pull this off, the Tata Nano still cannot hold a candle to the Maruti 800 in terms of performance and top speed. This speaks a lot about the Maruti 800, designed way back in the 1980s. Times have changed quickly and now the Maruti 800 faces an opponent that has hastened the phase out of many cars and motorcycles

Maruti 800 Red Car

Yes, I’m talking about emission norms. Maruti has decided not to infuse new technology or an engine into the Maruti 800 to help it meet the Bharat Stage 4 norms that take effect from April, 2010. It just doesn’t make sense business wise, or so do the powers to be at Maruti perceive it to be. Instead Maruti will pull out the Maruti 800 from the Indian Metros which will effect the emission norms. Meanwhile, the Maruti 800 will continue to sell in semi urban and rural areas till the new emission norms reach these places. Once that happens, it will be time for all of us to bid adieu to the legend of four wheels that put us, a nation of a billion plus on wheels.

This piece of news will obviously leave a lot of Maruti 800 fans emotional, and some even teary eyed at the icon’s retirement. That said, the Maruti 800 has lived it’s life, a long life filled with innumerable highs with an odd low. Let’s hope that Maruti resurrects the Maruti 800 sometime in the future as a new classic, something in the lines of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini Cooper.

Till then, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time to give the legend a fitting retirement and cherish the beautiful memories. The Maruti 800 will continue to live on in our hearts and in the annals of Indian automotive history, as a car that revolutionized the way India moved.

Like they say, great things come in small packages…..

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February 13, 2010 | By Jay Prashanth · Tags: Maruti 800 Details, Maruti 800 History, Maruti 800 Phase Out, Maruti 800 Stop Production

Comments

2 Responses to “The Maruti 800 Story”

G.Ramachandram on January 30th, 2011 4:34 pm

Sir,

I have great interest to make Electric Maruti 800,with probably 100% solar energy.

Through this column,I appeal to SUZUKI Motors to help me undertake this project.

Thanks to one and all.

G.Ramachandram,09392481350
revanna on June 10th, 2011 10:48 am

:laugh: