[Tanveer02]

Any discussion on Indian cult classic cars is incomplete without the inclusion of a Maruti 800, specially in it's SS80 and 5 speed avatar


Photo source : Leoshashi's review of his 5S 800

Photo source: Google

[bharatbits]

Tata Estate - favorite among the politicos and the elite a few decades back.

HM Ambassador - the de facto car of the politicians and babu s decades ago.

[pranavtengshe]

If we apply metric of owners not letting go their car easily or if people ride the car years after them out of production then I consider below vehicles as cult AKA keeper car ( not necessary a cult then)
Toyota Qualis
RE bullet CI
Chevrolet Tavera
1st gen Honda City
Hyundai Santro Zing (maybe user group is non car enthusiast hence a keeper)

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[DrCar]

I will be mentioning two vehicles, a car and a bike, which not only is enjoying cult status but kick-started something new in their respective segments.

This has kick-started a segment where both fuel efficiency and performance were taken care of.

The first generation Maruti Suzuki Swift. Its diesel was fuel efficient, addictive and that "Turbo" kick was

When comfort and power works in tandem and the world feels wonderful, you will definitely "Feel like God"

Image source: Bajaj Auto
Bajaj's Avenger. It brought comfort, power and convenience all together in a cruiser form which was affordable.

[MPBNKA]

What a Topic for me to begin with my first post on this forum.

There is no other vehicle on roads that turn heads like a Mahindra Thar and Tata Safari (the old one with a spare tire on the tailgate ). These two, I suppose have body language to communicate with our senses on a whole different level. At least I cannot take my eyes off these two vehicles when I see them.

No pics attached as I don't have any pic of my own. (to avoid any copyright issue)
And there is no dearth of pics on the internet.

[srishiva]

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[KK Sitaram]

If Abarth and Polo GTI can make this cult list, then I feel we should include SCross 1.6 as well. It is referred to as the 'New Highway King' in Team-BHP official reviews and undoubtedly its one of the brilliant machines out there.

[PrasannaDhana]

I guess a lot of us are confusing popular cars with cult cars.

In my opinion, the following are cult cars

1. Safari
2. Sierra
3. Contessa
4. Ambassador
5. Mahindra Classic
6. OHC
7. Civic
8. Last gen Pajero
9. Lancer


2 of them currently in our family duty




When it comes to bikes

1. RD350
2. RX100
3. CI Bullet 350
4. First gen CBZ 150
5. Karizma 223
6. Ninja 250

[mayankk]

My personal favorite is the Pulsar 180, the original "its a boy!".
Addictive power, for the time. The muscled shoulders, the lean angles possible.
And the most important bit, the quirks. The best one was the multiple neutrals, one in between each pair of gears.
In cars, i would put the City and Baleno right at the top of the list, but would prefer to have the Fiesta 1.6 due to more availability, and better equipment.

However, going by the definition of Cult, I would say the Safari. SOUL is a cult of sorts, innit?

[PrideRed]

Few more
1. Maruti Swift- The first generation swift one hot hatch during launch. If the current swift is doing good in market, it should thank the first gen. It was truly a drivers delight and also redefined car modification in India after Lancer. Even now, for many hatchback=Swift.

2. Daewoo Cielo- This was a dream ride for many during its time. When launched kids would crazy looking at the car. Black Cielo was a perfect Gangsta car.

3. Tata Sierra- This was the most unique car ever launched in India till date. A 2 door SUV with glass all around. I would call it G Wagon of those times. Turbo version was a strong performer too.

[nishant]

Hope these qualify, the B6 Passat, the Isuzu Vcross, the Mini Cooper S, the Ford Endeavour, the Polo GTI

[alpha1]

Hate to be not "contributing" to the topic, but seems like the list is fast turning into List of vehicles sold in India since the 80s.

Cult vehicle is not that appeals you individually. Cult vehicle has a mass appeal (is not easy to lay your hands on) and will always make head turn.

As a side note:
Polo TSI and Punto Abarth may grab engine-heads' eyeballs, but they are not very different looking from their tamers siblings, and hence I doubt if they have a cult appeal.

Someone may add Royal Enfield bullet to this list. But hey come on ... (refer the first of the post)

[Vysakh]

ITT : Everyone mentioning their favourite vehicles

[KVNair]

The Tata Nano is something that also should be on this list.Though, not commercially successful, it still showcases the engineering efforts put into its creation. Also, the good intentions behind its ideation to provide a safe means of transport for the masses. It may one day become a collectors' pride.

[2000rpm]

Extremely happy to have owned a lot of cars and a bike from the list being populated here

• Zen (Jelly Bean and Tiger) - Check
• Civic - Check
• Palio - Check
• First Gen Swift Petrol - Check
• First Gen CBZ 1999 & 2001 model - Check

I also own the Polo 1.6 currently

P.S. I still drool over the Safari Dicor!