[TusharK]

It has been 37 years since the first Maruti 800 rolled off the production line in India. The car has since achieved iconic status.



Former Prime Minster of India Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Maruti Suzuki factory on December 14, 1983. On the same day, Harpal Singh became the first person to take delivery of a Maruti 800. He received the keys to his new car from Mrs. Gandhi herself. The first owner was chosen via a lucky draw.



The Maruti 800 was launched at a price of Rs. 47,500. It remained the best-selling car in India till 2004. Maruti sold more than 27 lakh units of the 800 in India.

The Maruti 800 was based on the Suzuki Fronte SS80. The first batch of the 800 was imported as a completely knocked down (CKD) kit.

The model went out of production on January 18, 2014.

Link to Team-BHP News

[Fernang]

I know for sure that I'm one of many for whom a Maruti 800 would have been the first car in the immediate family or the one which the driving school used for teaching. It had its flaws but I feel it's an important part of our automotive history.

[V.Narayan]

For its time the Maruti 800 was a hot car in terms of power to weight ratio, speed, acceleration and sheer reliability. For those of us who grew up on the old trio of Ambassador, Premier & Standard Herald the reliability of the Maruti 800 and the mind blowing service methods at their ASS were a revelation of the world outside the walls of our license raj economy. It was common in the first couple of years for Ambassadors and Premier Padmini's to rear end the Maruti 800 at traffic lights because its brakes, in comparison, were so effective. Also its accelerator had a light touch and its gears shifted ever so smoothly. When I used to drive my father's Maruti 800 (1985) I had to consciously remind myself to be light on the right foot. You can't even imagine the difference between the steering column gear handle of the Ambassador versus a Maruti 800's floor shift.

[TrackDay]

A very important car. I would say again a very important car.

This gave the mass market a reliable and easy to drive car. Also the dimensions were relatively compact, not that there was heavy traffic in those days. But still it brought about a revolution and design change phase in our Indian mindsets about cars.

[shancz]

Respect to the car which changed it for us.

I preferred the 800DX(shown in pic) over the next generation.
The lowered seating position, the brilliant engine, the gear shifter and the exhaust note together gave it a very sporty character.

A fine and fun to drive car.

[suhas_raj]

My dad owned a 1984 Red M800, a CKD unit as described here & we had it for a good 16 years with us. The quality of parts used for that era was something Indian cars could not match. It used to look like a proper hot hatch in red colour, it was also the car I learnt driving in & throughly enjoyed the sweet revving engine. Brings back a lot of nostalgia! We eventually gave it up to one of our relatives who still has it in running condition after 36 years!! They don’t make cars that cost as much in today’s money & can last as long as it did & drive the way it did!!

[Rahul Bhalgat]

I fully agree with the above comments on the reliability of the car, it's frugal sweet revving engine and the exhaust note. I have driven that car (manufactured in 1996) for 8 years.

Another thing I liked in the car was it's practical dashboard, which had a flat top. Unlike the sloping curvy dashboards of today's cars, you could keep your belongings on the dashboard.

And look at that small simple and elegant design of the steering wheel (black colored one, the red one seems to be aftermarket). Remember the light yet distinct non-confusing feel of the horn pads on the steering wheel?

That window rolling lever was so well designed. And I still remember and miss that black knob for locking the door from the inside. And the flaps to open the door from outside. Whether it was the door flap handle, the locking knob or the horn-pads on the steering wheel, every control had a distinct perceptible point of operation. The click was distinct and well designed.

And the ergonomics was so good, I never felt any need for the steering reach / rake adjustment or the seat height adjustment.

Whenever I see Alto 800, I sincerely feel that MSIL shall replace the Alto 800 with this car with MPFI and AC. And with the facelift they were selling in 1996. That design was timeless.

[kiku007]

Is there anyone who hasn't driven the M800?

Simple, functional and also fun to drive. That's what the M800 was for me. I didn't like the ones there made in the new millennium though since they reeked of cost-cutting and didn't work for me.

If you love reading and cars, then this is a very good book that provides an inside account of the birth and journey of Maruti 800 and Maruti the company. It's one of the very few books on the Indian automotive industry and I enjoyed reading it.

The Maruti Story - How a public sector company put India on wheels

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...ndia-on-wheels

A quote from the book,

“The decision to partner the government was clearly a top-down decision taken by Suzuki himself, based on Nakanishi’s positive report. The speed of decision making was a result of the pressure from the Indian side as well as the dynamism and ability of Suzuki to take truly entrepreneurial risks. When asked as to why he took what appeared to most people, including the Japanese embassy in India, as an unwarranted risk, Suzuki explained that he always believed that it was people who determined how any project performed, and everything else was secondary. He said that at the time of the first meeting with Krishnamurthy and me, he was convinced that he could work with us and ensure success. If he did not have this feeling, he would not have asked the Maruti team to stay back till he returned from the United States. I wonder how many people in the world could take a decision to invest $25 million on this ground. Suzuki showed that his faith in the importance of people as the basis for doing business was better than the technical evaluations which companies made and which showed that India was not a good place to invest money.”

[Vinod_nair]

I still remember vividly when Maruti 800 was launched, people saw one parked, they would lie down and examine the rear axle and try and locate the differential and the prop shaft (like Ambassador or Fiat), not finding them would wonder how do the wheels turn?

This was a topic of discussion for months.

[GTO]

My strongest memory of the Maruti 800 will always be how ergonomically sorted it was. After driving Padminis & Ambassadors which had weird driver ergonomics, poor seat adjustability, floor-shift gears as an afterthought, bucket seats as an afterthought, air-conditioners placed as an afterthought...sitting in the Maruti 800 was a revelation ! I was astonished at the then perfect driving position. It was really something else.

As was the reliability, something we take for granted today. Climbing up the Mahabaleshwar ghat without overheating or breaking down was revolutionary .

[stanjohn123]

I had made a video on this last year on our own family car. Yes , the first Maruti 800 is still alive and running with us. It has few issues that needs fixing, but nothing a Jugaad can't fix.

Engine is still super reliable, interiors though are a bit shabby. Exhaust also needs some work.

But all thanks to late Sanjay Gandhi's passion to make it available for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIo2mDhlLJ0

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

That window rolling lever was so well designed.
And the ergonomics was so good, I never felt any need for the steering reach / rake adjustment or the seat height adjustment.
That design was timeless.

True, I just forgot that window rolling lever, one of the smoothest I have operated, inclusive of later gen M800. Same for the adjustments.
It was a beautifully engineered car.

I'd consider the Zen to be a worthy successor to it instead of the Alto.
If Maruti can come up with a tribute to it(not Ignis), on a modern platform but replicate that feeling, it will be awesome and Maruti will make a permanent place in minds of enthusiasts.

Originally Posted by GTO

As was the reliability, something we take for granted today. Climbing up the Mahabaleshwar ghat without overheating or breaking down was revolutionary .

Absolutely, that was the car which brought the concept of travelling solo(without driver) to our family.
As a kid, when we had the Padmini, we always took a driver when going out of town, "not really to drive but to fix the car when it breaks down" were my father's words
And break-down it did. Every trip gave us a chance to sit under the shade of a tree while the driver tried to fix it. Once I saw him break a branch, hollow out the stem and use it to route and jam the cables in the spark plugs.

[supremeBaleno]

That was indeed one hell of a car for it's time.
We have also had a later model M800 too, but the magic of the original CKD was missing.

Originally Posted by TusharK

It has been 37 years since the first Maruti 800 rolled off the production line in India. The Maruti 800 was launched at a price of Rs. 47,500.

Our 1985 M800 would have been 35years now (sold it at 19years - something I still regret). Cost us Rs59,700 including a premium for the chocolate colour. With a friend during a Cochin drive in 1998.

Originally Posted by TusharK

The model went out of production on January 18, 2014.

A friend buys only M800s & is currently on his 3rd M800 bought in 2013 or 2014 which has run 3lakh+ kms. Wonder what he will do now since M800 is no longer available.

[Octy17]

37 years of the 800. What a moment. Brings back a ton of nostalgic memories.

I've attached a photo of our very own SB308 in Emerald Green which was my Grandpa's first new car back in 1986.
I recollect him saying that whenever he drives down to EKM back in the late 80's, the children there used to gather around the car and call it a "Baby Benz". He treasured this very car till his end. For him it was more than just a car. It was an emotion. Post his passing I have started driving and look after it. She turns 35 next September and a complete restoration job has been planned for her 35th Birthday.
I have grown up driving the 800, passing my driving licence test, going on dates, sneaking it out in the middle of the night, small niggles that we've had along the way. The Bad times, good times, the greatest of times, the falls and the rises. She has seen cars advance as years progressed. She has seen it all and has come a long way.
Connected car tech? Heck no! Drive a 800 and you will know what exactly a connected car feels like. It connects you to directly to its soul.

All I can say is thank you Maruti for the 800.

[Yash98]

Being Born in the late 90's, the Maruti 800 was the vehicle that started my love for cars. We had a Purple/Maroon M800AC and I used to truly feel like a king while going for a ride with my Dad. Young me apparently used to also only fall asleep when I was taken for a drive in the car (true petrolhead even at that age).

While I do not remember too many details, but it really was an easy to maintain car since it was completely utilitarian. I never remember the car having ever stranded us anywhere. Also, traveling in a Padmini taxi was boring for me since they could never give the feeling of "speed" that an M800 could provide since it felt extremely zippy.

In the era of fancy touchscreen and driver assistance features, such low-maintenance and functional cars are truly missed