The TATA 1210 SE - a symbol of excellence
Quoting from the professor's words in the movie "3 idiots" - the astronaut's pen is a symbol of excellence. After millions of dollars, scientists found a pen that can write on any surface and at any angle, and call that a SOE.
As a layman without knowledge of engineering, I define symbol of excellence differently. Products that didn't have a need to change (or don't need to change), even after their competitors have changed several times - that is called a symbol of excellence.
In the Indian market there would be a few examples - The 045 Reynolds pen, the Hyundai Santro, Maruti 800, Tiger Balm - these are all SOEs, since they have been unchanged for more than a couple of decades.
The ad for the new (now old) Hero Honda Splendor + describes that well. The father, who is blind now, wanted his son to have the same type of bike he rods, so he takes his son to the showroom. He feels the new Splendor all over and concludes that it is the same kind of bike he rode so it would be the best. The only difference was in the "+" sign, everything else was unchanged, or didn't need a change. A symbol of Excellence.
With that intro, we now see some facets about the Tata 1210 SE, a SOE that can put all other SOEs to the shade. Just see its timeline.
Source for 1977 :
http://india100yearsback.blogspot.in...-mercedes.html
Source for 2017 -
http://www.construck.tatamotors.com/products.aspx
1) 1977 - Tata manufactures its first commercial vehicle at its plant in Pune. Rolls out Tata 1210SE.
The grandfather (who is young then) drives a brand new Ambassador Mark II. A brand new Tata 1210SE slowly chugs in front.
Grandpa honks, Tata moves out of the way. Both drive to the sunset.
2) 1997 - Tata no longer sells the 1210SE. It has been upgraded with a bigger engine - I think it is a 1612. The basic design remains the same - no difference at all.
The father (son of the grandfather) drives a brand new Honda City. A brand new Tata (1612 or 1512) slowly chugs in front. Father honks, Tata moves out of the way. Both drive to the sunset.
3) 2017 - The same design runs with a brand new engine. Today 1210SE is called a 1613 SK Hymiler. I know we are not in 2017 yet, but we're almost there.
The son (son of the father) drives a brand new BMW. A brand new Tata 1613 SK Hymiler slowly chugs in front. The boy honks, Tata moves out of the way. Both drive to the sunset.
You can almost hear the Tata quoting from "The Brook" by Tennyson "For vehicles may come and vehicles may go, but I go on forever".
So what is it that makes the Hymiler tick? In another decade he will be crossing 50. Who knows, he may score a century someday. To find that, we need to go back to the very beginning, even before the beginning.
The very first Tata truck was the TMB - a truck built in collaboration with Mercedes Benz. Its very first rivals were Ashok Leyland, along with Bedford / Fargo / Shaktiman and some other trucks. During those days, most trucks were semiforwards, with the exception of Ashok Leyland. Slowly, all other trucks started leaving the roads, leaving only Tata and Ashok Leyland to battle it out.
The successor of TMB was the Tata 1210D.
Media had its share too in phasing out the trucks (jocularly). In most of the movies of the 1970 - 1990s, cars and bikes were for heroes and heroines. But lorries always were portrayed as the villains. Notable examples : Bedford in "Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi" and "Manu Uncle", Fargo in "Puthiya Pathai" and "Amman Kovil Kizhakale". Somehow film people have the notion that the semiforward trucks or the conventional cabs have a "face" like a villain - with the engine like a "nose" and the split windscreen as "eyes", looking even more menacing with the lights on and the airhorn. Of course, no truck villain can beat the dada of all time - the Peterbilt 281 used by Steven Spielberg in "Duel".
Now there are two types of trucks - the one with the engine underneath the cab (Cab over engine), and the one with the cab behind the engine (conventional truck / semi-forward). Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Cab over engines give better visibility, but conventionals give better access to the engine, safety in accidents, probably more comfort and better aerodynamics (though at the speed that trucks travel, that hardly matters). By the 1990s, all the semiforwards were no longer in production, and to survive the change Tata started bringing out cab-over-engines, phasing out older models. Somehow the 1210SE (and it's newer engines) survived the change, and is going strong today.
Probably the 1210SE was better engineered than the others. The engine wasn't as powerful as its variants, but the chassis probably was strong. Maybe the reason why Tata never wanted to change was because the product was that good, or it didn't warrant a change. Way back in the 1990s, while travelling by train to Kerala, it was a common sight to see 1210s in the Sengottai - Punalur route. Most of those lorries had flat trailers, and decorated "heads" of all colours. The back part of the cab might have a design - usually a peacock or a diety or a tiger. Usually they carried huge logs of timber, sometimes stretching far behind the trailer.
Another common sight in Kerala was the "Kachchi Lorry", or the lorry carrying hay. The hay would be overloaded - sometimes double the size of the truck, sticking out on both sides, above and behind, similar to a rockstar's wig. The Kachchi Lorry always was a 1210SE. It had no control at all. It destroyed many house gates and walls in the mountainous areas of Kerala. Overtaking a Kachchi Lorry with an ambassador used to be an exercise in skill, patience, reflexes, luck and the best driving skills.
The fact sheet is that the 1210SE is not the best lorry technically. Probably the Comet is engineered better. Tata's "Prima" has some advancements that rival even some private cars. 1210SE has its flaws too - difficult to park / too slow for the highway / can be a menace for other vehicles / no engine upgrade possible.
My personal opinion for why 1210SE has continued to run for so long is the "People" factor. We citizens of India feel that 1210SE and its family members are such an integral part of the road. The people factor has contributed to the Hymiler's intangibles - and thanks to that, it is a "Symbol of Excellence".
Well done, Tata.
19th March 2009, 19:40
(Just one more desire, please bring us fantastic version of Safari 
)
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Thanks
