[ibabsi]

This is my first posting in Team BHP and I think it's fitting that I do it as a tribute to the M800.

I had bought my M800 DX A/C in 1996, after a 5 month wait, a premium of 25K and having to pick it up at Pondicherry(I live in Chennai). I still remember having taken an early morning bus to Pondy, finishing the RTO related work in the course of the day and driving back to Chennai, late afternoon. My extended family came out to give the M800 a ceremonious welcome and I took all of them by turn for joy rides all evening(there were nearly 20 of us!).

I got engaged within days of getting my M800 and there were countless long drives that I had shared with my fiancee on this.
Q.When would a Chennaite spend hot summer Sunday afternoons on the city roads driving around aimlessly with his wife?
A. When both the car and the wife are new

Zoom forward to Y2006. After 11 years & 88,000 KM of happy travel, (additionally with a daughter for a whom a car meant only the M800) it had started giving problems. Once at a busy signal, an obliging cop insisted that my wife get back into the car and then he pushed our stranded M800 to a quiet spot! Another time, I had to ask my wife and daughter to take an Autorickshaw, while I called a friend and both of us took turns pushing the car back home a few KMs! That year I bought another car(a Santro), but was still reluctant to let go of my M800. Finally, when it started rusting a bit here and there, I got it serviced fully and sold it. It felt like a family bereavement.

Dear M800, Thank you for the great service you have done to me and countless others. Journey beyond well, my friend.

[B.R.S.Rao]

Really a sad news indeed. But I just love my tiny maruti 800. No problems till today. Serves my purpose very well.

[ron_9191]

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A lot of good things happened to our country in the recent times. Sachin's 100x100, The ICC Cricket World Cup for India and Agni 5. However, like the 2 sides of a coin, I think to cover up all the good things, here is a really sad news. Maruti 800 says good bye.

As a little boy of the 80's when I saw the very first SS80 it was like a breath of fresh air from the ever boring (those days that is) amby's, padminis and the insanely noisy Bajaj front engined auto rikshaws. It was love at first sight for me. However occasionally I could get to see a Dolphin. The only one I used to see was one in sky blue and it belonged to a teacher in my school and she still has it and it still runs!! God knows how!.

However, in 1991, my dad brought home my dream car, a Blue Maruti Suzuki 800 DX and I was so glad when I saw the DX logo on it. I remember begging my dad to drop me to school every single day and you know for what I used to clean the car everytime I could possibly could and trust me, even though I was too young to drive it, I still remember my dad making me sit on his lap and drive it. I dont really know how a person who is around 6 feet tall did that in a car that is so cramped by the standards of today. All for me to have that ecstatic 5 or 10 minutes driving my dream.

Unbelievably I still remember its number KDE 5722!! Yes that was it. We had it with us for the next 3 years or so and we sold it off later in 1993 as this was a second hand car. And guess what, my dad goes and buys another one!! again this time a Maruti 800 in neptune blue and this time it had a fancy number too, KL02 - B - 7667. By the time I was in high school, I learnt to drive and by the time I landed up in college, this was my pocket rocket. It carried everything you could possibly think of for a college going brat. It carried almost all the lovely ladies whom I had the crush of my life which I laugh about so hard right now, it carried veggies, fish, meat, fruits for those long trips we used to do when we used to visit my mom's ancestral home. And while my dad used to drive those long trips, my sister who was in her 4th or 5th standard used to be sandwiched between 2 of her big brothers and we used to pester her, my mom and my dad so bad sometimes my dad had to stop by and get things in order We used to sing as we had no stereo in our second 800 as it was a standard, crack jokes do mimicries and in the midst of all this, I dont really remember except for a couple of flat tyres, it never ever broke down!! How?? well i dont know.

But the day I'd never forget is the day when my dad got his first cardiac arrest, it was our neptune blue angel that drove my dad at break neck speeds with her tiny little 3 cylinders firing to save her master. My eyes are filled with tears as I write this paragraph. Thankfully my dad is still going strong like a 65 year old teenager But all thanks to you my little neptune blue angel.

Finally in 2006, it was time we had to move on, we bought a brand new Baleno Vxi and still had her but this time she started showing her age after almost 2 full rounds on her clock, we (dad) had to sell her. I dont know how much I fought with my dad for selling her. He sold her for 40000 bucks!!

I think I went a bit too far with what I wanted to say, but look at it this way my friends, so much memories from such a tiny little thing is astonishing!!! I am 31 years old now and I would still love to have a go in my good old trustworthy 800.

To all the dedicated men and women at Maruti Udyog and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, I salute you for your dedication, hard work and your commitment to making something so small, a huge icon for our nation. I dont really bother to the few who might stop me and say hey there are better cars than the 800, well I agree. But there are never better memories for people who grew up in the 80's, 90's and to an extent 2000's with the 800. To me its like my first kiss on 4 wheels, the very first taste of what you call sheer driving pleasure (no I have never driven a BMW and I bother to) and I will never ever forget that. Big thanks to you, if you have read till here. I am sorry for making it this long. The point I wanted to talk about is somewhere in there.

[shankar.balan]

Icon or not, it is about time that the M800 said bye bye to the world.

[00nuts001]

My dad bought me a pre owned M800 DX '92 (or maybe '91) in 1998 as a replacement to my FIAT. Incidentally, he never drove it. He still drives HIS FIAT.
My college days were over by then, and i had just started my career. I remember going everyday by my 800 to the office, despite being provided a transport! The drive to the office and back was (and still is) "my time" time.
i've raced down many a zens, 1000's, esteems and what-nots during my times with my trusted silver steed (later got her painted to Metallic Grey). besides my dad, I was the only car driver in my extended family, and I never really got tired of driving her around.
I can never ever forget the time i spent in her with my GF. I'm sure she wont iether, wherever she is (yeah, yeah, the wrong chords....). it was like a home to us. be it rain, shine, we spent all our offs in the vehicle, just chatting for hours on end.
Used to take care of her as well. In those days, only affordable gizmos were the ICE (Philips Casette player, 2 small speakers in aft, 2 custom boxed speakers under the dash, 2 tweeters, and one happy driver!) and seat covers (the best were fully padded black leatherite: too comfortable!).
Gave me its fair share of trouble primarily due old age. I spent a lot on her, but then age does catch up. 2 worst case scenarios: once when i banged her in a lamp post while turning around to keep a water bottle on the rear seat, and the other when an oil pump failed and the engine siezed up.

Kept her for a year in my hometown when i shifted base to Gurgaon. But no-one drove it, and a standing horse eventually dies out. In order to avoid this, I sold it off.

Thank you, my silver steed, wherever you are!!!!

[gitartha]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Icon or not, it is about time that the M800 said bye bye to the world.

I guess this is what todays generation says to their elders.

[Axe77]

I am soooooo happy. I accidentally came across an old family picture of our baby blue 1983 model car. Uploading now. Sorry but its a digicam picture of a polaroid picture so quality is extremely poor.

Originally Posted by GTO

Truly, the end of an icon.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I am sad to see that all the pics (if I have missed one please point it out) are of the Mk.II. Where are the pics of Mk.I?

Please oblige!!

Originally Posted by Axe77

Thank you GTO for a nice little thread that brings back all the memories. One suggestion, perhaps you could supplement the opening thread with a picture of the original 800 as well together with the outgoing model.

Originally Posted by elantracrdi05

As sgkiit pointed out, all the pics are of the newer avtaar of the car. I will try and find my old cars pics and upload. I had the priviledge of driving a Nov 1984 model Deluxe 800.

[SirAlec]

Here is what it looks like after 2.17 lac kms and 12 years later. One last one for the tribute thread. My very own first car. Will keep it till hell freezes over.

[shankar.balan]

Not really! Im quite long in the tooth myself!

Originally Posted by gitartha

I guess this is what todays generation says to their elders.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by GTO

Truly, the end of an icon. Take a spin down your favourite ghat section in a 5-speed Maruti 800 MPFI. A wide smile is guaranteed

As I go through the posts, one by one, one thing becomes crystal clear. For most of us here, the 800 was not just another car. It was family. Many have gone forward to own much more classier cars, but the 800 holds a very special place deep down in our hearts. Dear 800, I salute you from the bottom of my heart. You are the one that put India on wheels. You are the one that made Maruti what it is today. Today, as you move into the sunset, for many of us you will be remembered fondly, an emotional chord, which today's upcoming generation might not be able to relate to.

Hope to see a brand new example in a Maruti museum some day. This post cannot be complete without snaps of the best variant of the M800 ever sold in India - the 5 speed. With the 4 valve per cylinder configuration, it was a perfect sleeper car. The way it lunges forward with a gentle tap on the throttle, I had only one reaction

[PSOPS]

Loved this car always. As many others even I had learnt driving on this awesome vehicle... Thoughit did not boast of many features, notthing comes close to it's reliability. Not to forget it's manual steering -was as good as or better than power steering of many vehicles today...

Don't you thing it dwarves a heritage status and may be Maruri could come up with a version of it similar to the Beetle. Am sure it would build the brand of Maruti as well as find many lovers of the car...

[urajkumar]

Ahh...the end of the Iconic M800.....my first car in many ways (i learnt driving on m800, my first car was a m800, my first date in m800, my marriage gift was m800...signnnnn)...we had 6 M800 in our family and it is our family car in many ways...i will always miss u M800...you have been good to us always...Sorry for neglecting you over a santro for the lack of power steering..but i must admit you bring back a lot good memories and cheer!

Hope Maruti give it a nice send-off! It deserves a send-off the way Sachin would get on his last match!

Amen! Rest in Peace!

[qqplus]

Volkswagan.. sell their flagship model 'Beetle' at a price of over 20 lacs today; More than the price of a D segment Car; keep the legacy alive; and if MUL can't even make their flagship model compliant with BS-IV; its THEIR Loss.

It is indeed a saddening news for me, being in love with M800 ever since I first drove it. But I can only say, a Legend Never Dies.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by qqplus

...keep the legacy alive; and if MUL can't even make their flagship model compliant with BS-IV; its THEIR Loss.

The decision may not be based on the engine's BS compatibility. If the Alto's three pot based on the same engine can meet BS IV norms, plodding it into the 800 could be child's play for any auto manufacturer.

[qqplus]

Here's a pic of my darling.