Report-The First car Maruti 800 to be treasured at a Museum

Now, it’s an era when the most popular model of Maruti Suzuki is not in production and demand anymore, it still hold a special place in our hearts, as it has been the first and the best car for a lot of us, including me and my family. This car actually became the family car, best in terms of our small families, low budget costa and the low maintenance and an easy and smooth drive.

 

But the condition, our choices and the roads have evolved now, so this car is rusting away outside the owner’s home. Going back 32 year ago, Harpal Singh, a Delhiite, became the prime ever customer of the M800 after he won the ownership for the car in a lucky draw. The keys of the car were gifted over to him by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on December 14, 1983. Singh accepted the keys in the presence of Rajiv Gandhi, who worked with Singh at Indian Airlines, in New Delhi.

 

However, post the death of its owners, Harpal Singh and his wife Gulshanbeer Kaur, the vehicle has been parked outside their house in Green Park, South Delhi. While Singh expired in 2010, his wife left 2 years later. He has two daughters, they also live in South Delhi with their families, but due to their own commitments are unable to maintain the car. Yet, the family is emotionally connected to the car, and wants it to be preserved in a museum for the future generations to know this fact.

 

Tejinder Ahluwalia, son-in-law of Harpal Singh, has filed a request to Maruti Suzuki India in order to conserve the car. According to the family, they do not intend any financial aspect from this proposal, it’s just that the emotions and sentiments are attached, so they want the brand, from where it got its birth and hugely flourished, to just keep it well with themselves.

 

According to the family, Maruti took the car from Singh in 2008 to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary in India, but showed no concern afterwards even after their requests. After that it has shown no concern for its first baby. The family has written letters a few ties in the previous years, but there hasn’t been any reply.

 

Since this matter has been in the prints, there have been buyers ready to preserve it and the brand has also reciprocated positively. The brand’s Spokesperson was heard quoting, that the car indeed is very special to the brand as well, and if the family wants us to keep the car back, we would do so with open arms and welcome it back to us.