[mazherr]

Yo, Yeah great question .....

Im going to have to think of classic cult designs to keep your whole life ... yeah, like a grandpa's car,...... 2 thoughts spring up at me ....

1. The trusted Amby, cause you always should have an Amby to show your kids .... its adorable actually and pretty good you know ....





And / Or

2. if you have a little more spare cash, yes this would be a life time buy, no changes required, would be classically styled Fiat 500 Cinquecento








wait ... one more ...

Maybe the VW beetle restored , there are quite of em around.



and one more ... last one

I'd also like to think Fiat Linea ... (with Fiat, resale values are a big question mark ... you might as well, if you decide to buy one, be prepared for the long haul ....(i am....:-)...) )

[vancity]

Originally Posted by ritz830

very good thread.

How about the Fiat Palio.... Very strong build and its looks will last for a life time

the service and parts availability is one thing which you have to keep checking every year, because its getting better every time

I second that, i have four friends who bought fiat uno it first came out and all 5 cars are still chuggin along just fine one guy has actually two of these 98 model with 350k kms and 2000 with 277k kms and all five cars have original engines not rebuilt once all they had done was pm oil change and belts changed at specified intervals.
now i have seen one octy with 245 k kms engine rebuilt once radiator fan replaced thrice and expensive spares thrown in good measure and scorpio engine was good but body ratteled like anything and suspension redone on two times for the same amount of use... thanks

[aaggoswami]

For me from the list, it would be Maruti 800. No wonder how much I write for it, it wont be sufficient. One of the best cars even today for city driving. Its like a small kid you are playing with. Steering is more direct that the present range of EPS systems from Maurti and Hyundai.
This is the car I wish never dies. Our entire automotive history is divided into the segments BM and AM, i.e. Before Maruti800 and After Maruti800.
Also this car has done so much for its home market that no other car has done for its home market. This car is in league of VW Bettle.

The day this car is taken away from production I will shed a tear ( which I usually do within heart ).

[theMAG]

Amby - its been around for 60 years - it'll be around for 60 more: whether its in production or not at that time being immaterial.

Ritz830: With the design philosophy of current Marutis being well known by now, I doubt an A star would last a lifetime.

[TheARUN]

• Parsi gentlemen, you can still see 70 year olds, clinging on happily to their FIATs and stuff like that which they have painstakingly and passionately maintained over the years
• There was this ad in the paper where the kids were selling off a 50 year old BEETLE, because their father had passed on and they did not have the time and energy to keep the car going. The car was sold to a scrap dealer to meet the same fate as its owner, i.e return to the earth
• There is this man in Bangalore. He must be nearing 80. He still drives around on sundays in his immaculately maintained MG. You can literally see the pride and joy in his eyes as he drives his beloved around
• I really want to get out of the rat race, every month a new car is launched, ask anyone which is the best car to buy and everyone gives you a different opinion. Want to buy one and settle down with it

[ravibhat]

My pick would be MM540. I know its not future vehicle but the vehicle which can be kept for lifetime. I am making this statement considerring economy as criteria.

If you have money to buy the vehicle nothing can beat Toyota Innova which can accomodate dozen people If filled in Indian style. It can last long say 6 lacs. kilometer or 20 years at least and would be most reliable of the lot! Maintanance cost is very less although accidental repair would be costly.

So over all MM450 which would make you happy considering it can take 8+ people and easy to maintain.

Regards,

Ravi.

[rupinder]

hello thearun if u at present looking to buy a car for whole life time then i would say go for palio 1.6 sport model .my bro in law booked on palio 1.6 sport for 3.9 lac ex showroom .it is an amazing car with amazing price . you will get a body coloured bumpers and orvms .alloy wheels ,rear defogger and wiper with that 100bhp of power . i am not sure about the stereo so will not comment on it.

[clevermax]

From the list given, only two of them can be kept RUNNING for one's lifetime, the Palio and a distant second, the 800. Whoever said Indica can be kept for life was joking :-))

[vinaydas]

any toyota let it be qualis/innova or corolla or even high end ones like camrys and prado's will last for generations and will also give other cars a run for their money

[kkdelhi]

I'd suggest the Alto here. Probably the best-looking small car, practical, excellent FE, Maruti. Wouldn't mind keeping it for ages.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by clevermax

From the list given, only two of them can be kept RUNNING for one's lifetime, the Palio and a distant second, the 800. Whoever said Indica can be kept for life was joking :-))

no, you really can, just gotta find a new engine every few L kms. everything else is pretty cheap and widely available. Dad was looking at 10+ years of ownership when we decided to buy the indica. If the cabbies are any indication - i mean, most of them use it more than most of us would do in our entire lifetimes - i think it should be around for a while

I think its the palio which should not be on this list . spares are hard to get now. i dont imagine it to be significantly better several years down the line, especially given their low numbers

of the above, I'd pick the mm540. but you better know how to maintain it yourself/have a mech as your best friend !

[vkochar]

A very nice thread this one is.

Out of the cars listed above I do not have any personal choice, and I would only say what has already been said by sbasak & others - you can buy any car and if mantained properly can be kept for an entire lifetime.

The other thing to be noted and kept in mind is that there are a very niche amount of people who think like this in India ( Parsi's for example ). That is perhaps the reason why we do not mantain cars for a long time.

The other reason is Indian Roads & other conditions. Not many peole have their own shed's and own garage's here where they spend time on their own doing up small chores on their cars. In India you buy a car and park it out in the open. If one day you decide to not ride the car for a certain time, you park it out in the open with a cover, after 5 months, you get rust & the engine would not start. You think why not just get rid of this junk than keeping it.

Another reason is - Parking Space, how many people here have access to a big parking area where they can keep 2 - 3 cars. Not many I bet.

Where as on the other hand, In places like America & UK, people love their Cadillac's & Mini's & Jaguar's & mercs etc. I still see people driving 40 year old models of Ford & Caddies in Showroom like condition. These people have Sheds & Small Garages for DIY stuff in their houses. See Overhaulin' and see how many old cars they get for reconditioning ( I would say more than 8 out of 10 ).

So yes, the Idea of keeping a car for your entire life does seem very nice but maybe not so practical in a country like India. But with a lot of care and love you might just do it.

Happy Shopping !!

[TheARUN]

I'm planning a house. Just now have the capacity to get a home loan for 20 lakhs. I want to get myself a small site, 20x30, and then start up my Advocate practice in it. The ground floor would have a garage and the Office. The house is going to be LEGO like, its going to be Ground+2 floors, designed now itself, but constructed in stages as I move along life.

I'm looking at a self sufficient garage, with tools adorning the walls and a lot of manuals and stuff like that. Want to become a BEHRAM DHABHAR kind of guy a few decades from now!

Aim is, to get 1 car, 1 house and 1 wife = all lasting me a lifetime ;-)

[BlackPearl]

I would suggest a MM540, CJ3B or an Amby, they have been around for quite a long time and will be in the future. If a bachelor has the moolah, then a Pajero would also fit the requirement.

[v1p3r]

Any Toyota. How about a Supra?