Quote:
Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM  Hello to all. It is after a lot of thought that I finally decided to start this thread. I was passing by Ghatkopar in suburban Mumbai when my driver took the road from Vidyavihar station coming out at Kurla due to chaotic traffic at Ghatkopar. This road passes next to the wall of the once existing Premier Automobiles Ltd. As I worked there for 10 years, old memories suddenly filled me and I told my driver to stop the car. I got down at the original main gate and I was not surprised (because I knew it had been sold), but I was saddened by what I saw. The dark blue metal gates still existed with PAL written on them but that's about all. Everything from there onwards has changed. I thought of taking a photograph of the gate with my mobile camera but then decided against it. The sales building and the staff colony are gone forever. I then took the car back on the same road and saw that the Walchand Hirachand Research Centre (which was the name of my department - R&D) was gone too. So was the service station where I learnt almost everything I know about cars. I could see the empty shells of the canteen building and the main building still standing, as well as some portion of the paint shop and the assembly line. I stood for 2 minutes and moved away. A glorious institutional legacy wasted away.
I request all team BHPians to please post any remembrances that they may like to share regarding PAL in this thread. I will share many of them.
I request the moderators to please put this thread in an appropriate section (maybe in the vintage and classic cars section) as I do not know how to do it. By chance it is in the travelogues section now.
Best regards,
Behram Dhabhar |
DHABHAR.BEHRAM: Sir, I sense your nostalgia and loss over the place you called 'home' for that length of time, and entirely empathise.
Whatever PAL might have stood for, whatever they achieved (or didn't), however poorly they compared with a slew of manufacturers that overtook them, they have their place in our country's motoring history, as they do with stalwarts such as yourself who were joined at the hip with them and undoubtedly contributed in no small manner to helping them get as far as they did.
Memories are a strong thing and worth treasuring, and I admire -indeed, am blown away- by your words from the heart.
The Company might have fizzled out without any fanfare, but there are heaps of us still around not swayed by the dazzling hegemony of chrome Japs and Czechs and Swedes and whatnot who've invaded our motoring scene- and I'm in no way saying they aren't welcome, just that we need not wipe our history slates clean just because we have new visitors.
Our family owned a Fiat ages ago and we have happy memories attached too. Nice to know you might have been responsible via the R&D for some touches in her.
Thanks, Sir.
RG