Chennai Intl. Auto Show - highlights

karlosdeville · 18th January 2009, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickatnite

The owner who was present when i took the pics of the Skoda told me the car is a 1938 Tourer with a 4-speed, 4-cyl 10bhp engine in it. He didn't venture any further info and the same was on the board when i was there yesterday.

The term is 10HP, not BHP. A 10 HP engine back in the day implied a 1000cc, like 8HP was 800cc.

nitrous · 18th January 2009, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser_1982

I think this is the first time an auto-expo is being held in the southern states, and keeping in mind the recession factor, I would say both the show have done reasonably well.

13 years back,there was this show called 'Auto Fest'.
Didn't run after a couple of years.

headers · 18th January 2009, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickatnite

None of the Chennai based auto manufacturers Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, TVS and Hyundai(save for one i20) were present at the show. Are they taking local consumers for granted?.

Nick, Business is bad for the past 4 months. Maybe hence not much spending is happening.

Guess it was an OK show. Not much to talk about!

Thad E Ginathom · 18th January 2009, 16:35

So far as it went, it was interesting and, hey, it was free to get in

Next door was the electrics exhibition, and for those who like their gadgetry industrial-sized, that was interesting too. I did actually find a couple of appropriate domestic things there; I've been interested in automatic phase changers for a while, and there were two manufacturers. The big Mahindra genset on display was possibly more impressive than any of the vehicles next door!

The guys selling red hand-held vacuum cleaners were there. I guess maybe they are appropriate to cars, but I think these guys live in the woodwork of the building, emerging at every exhibition to try and suck people up.

The missing manufacturers have been mentioned --- more accessories would have been nice, and the biggest missing thing, in my view, was ICE. I don't think these exhibition organisers have imagination; if they could have sold a stand to one or two of the ICE manufacturers, or even retailers, I think that might have really increased the crowd-pull factor.

Might have increased the noise level, though...

vinaydas · 18th January 2009, 17:03

nice pics,wanted to c more of the corolla..
xylo's interiors look better than the scorpio's
R15 ruined the image of R1

lynx · 18th January 2009, 18:48

Wow, amazing pictures

sbala · 19th January 2009, 13:20

Looks Chennai Auto Show is far more better than the Bangalore one..

Bangalore Auto Expo was not that good - nothing interesting at all :(

BTW - Good pics dude

narayan · 19th January 2009, 14:41

great pics nick. any info on the AMBY ? looks like there are some engine mods also done ?

Blur · 19th January 2009, 15:48

Nice pics Nick!

Best of the lot are of course the classics, the Merc and the Linea.

Not a big fan of the modded Amby though. A classic has to look like one. That paint job... Nah.

And oh, that MT OH 1 is to die for

ram.west · 19th January 2009, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by narayan

great pics nick. any info on the AMBY ? looks like there are some engine mods also done ?

Hey narayan ,

There is a seperate thread for the Amby.Check it out!

Ambassador with a 4.5 Liter, 6 cyl FORD engine!!

Cheers!!
Ramesh

Thad E Ginathom · 19th January 2009, 20:47

Second visit today, a few more observations:

A-star: disappointing, I really don't like the interior with the 'built-out' centre panel. Toy-car stuff

Linear: disapointment of the show; wanted to like it, wanted to want one, did like it from the outside, dispointed by the plastics and the build quality inside.

Honda Accord: Dream car of the show! Yes, I am easily satisfied, and Accord would do me very nicely. OK, so there was a Merc there, but, somehow, I've never been a Mercedes man (unless someone wants to give me one!). It just felt right, sitting in it, and I'm sure it would feel right driving it. You could say that I'm disapointed by the outside --- for the silly reason that it is just too big! Even if I did have the money, a car that size is just too much for two.

Honda City: Back in the land of reality. Nice, but unexitedly nice. If only they'd made it a big more Accord-like on the insdie.

VW Jetta: Liked it a lot. Dreams again... Passat is nice too

i20: Now we're talking! I think I actually want one!

Red vacuum cleaners: yeah, yeah...

Mahindra gensets: Big Gadget Appeal, and not as bank-breaking as I thought. The 5kva is only about 1.5lakh. Maybe the Honda might be a better buy as it is on wheels. Anyway, it is a lot cheaper to sit in the dark from time to time.

Very, very quiet today at the show

headers · 20th January 2009, 07:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Mahindra gensets: Big Gadget Appeal, and not as bank-breaking as I thought. The 5kva is only about 1.5lakh.

5KVA gensets at 1.5 lakhs is very expensive..way off the mark !

biju_kp · 20th January 2009, 11:18

Nice report and pictures. Any idea till when the expo is there?

Mission_Safari · 20th January 2009, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by biju_kp

Nice report and pictures. Any idea till when the expo is there?

Yesterday was the last day of the expo.

brraj · 20th January 2009, 12:33

One guy in hi tech stores claimed a modified lancer(EVO) to do 0-100 in 5sec.
Can anyone give me the website address of the same as i have lost his card.

18th January 2009, 16:35	#19
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,004 Thanked: 26,437 Times	So far as it went, it was interesting and, hey, it was free to get in Next door was the electrics exhibition, and for those who like their gadgetry industrial-sized, that was interesting too. I did actually find a couple of appropriate domestic things there; I've been interested in automatic phase changers for a while, and there were two manufacturers. The big Mahindra genset on display was possibly more impressive than any of the vehicles next door! The guys selling red hand-held vacuum cleaners were there. I guess maybe they are appropriate to cars, but I think these guys live in the woodwork of the building, emerging at every exhibition to try and suck people up. The missing manufacturers have been mentioned --- more accessories would have been nice, and the biggest missing thing, in my view, was ICE. I don't think these exhibition organisers have imagination; if they could have sold a stand to one or two of the ICE manufacturers, or even retailers, I think that might have really increased the crowd-pull factor. Might have increased the noise level, though...
	() Thanks

18th January 2009, 17:03	#20
vinaydas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	nice pics,wanted to c more of the corolla.. xylo's interiors look better than the scorpio's R15 ruined the image of R1
	() Thanks

18th January 2009, 18:48	#21
lynx BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: TN-09 Posts: 164 Thanked: 4 Times	Wow, amazing pictures
	() Thanks

19th January 2009, 13:20	#22
sbala BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 414 Thanked: 164 Times	Looks Chennai Auto Show is far more better than the Bangalore one.. Bangalore Auto Expo was not that good - nothing interesting at all :( BTW - Good pics dude
	() Thanks

19th January 2009, 14:41	#23
narayan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,114 Thanked: 2,372 Times View My Garage	great pics nick. any info on the AMBY ? looks like there are some engine mods also done ?
	() Thanks

19th January 2009, 15:48	#24
Blur BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 173 Thanked: 19 Times	Nice pics Nick! Best of the lot are of course the classics, the Merc and the Linea. Not a big fan of the modded Amby though. A classic has to look like one. That paint job... Nah. And oh, that MT OH 1 is to die for
	() Thanks

19th January 2009, 20:47	#26
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,004 Thanked: 26,437 Times	Second visit today, a few more observations: A-star: disappointing, I really don't like the interior with the 'built-out' centre panel. Toy-car stuff Linear: disapointment of the show; wanted to like it, wanted to want one, did like it from the outside, dispointed by the plastics and the build quality inside. Honda Accord: Dream car of the show! Yes, I am easily satisfied, and Accord would do me very nicely. OK, so there was a Merc there, but, somehow, I've never been a Mercedes man (unless someone wants to give me one!). It just felt right, sitting in it, and I'm sure it would feel right driving it. You could say that I'm disapointed by the outside --- for the silly reason that it is just too big! Even if I did have the money, a car that size is just too much for two. Honda City: Back in the land of reality. Nice, but unexitedly nice. If only they'd made it a big more Accord-like on the insdie. VW Jetta: Liked it a lot. Dreams again... Passat is nice too i20: Now we're talking! I think I actually want one! Red vacuum cleaners: yeah, yeah... Mahindra gensets: Big Gadget Appeal, and not as bank-breaking as I thought. The 5kva is only about 1.5lakh. Maybe the Honda might be a better buy as it is on wheels. Anyway, it is a lot cheaper to sit in the dark from time to time. Very, very quiet today at the show
	() Thanks

20th January 2009, 11:18	#28
biju_kp BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 120 Thanked: 0 Times	Nice report and pictures. Any idea till when the expo is there?
	() Thanks

20th January 2009, 12:33	#30
brraj BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 913 Thanked: 1,282 Times	One guy in hi tech stores claimed a modified lancer(EVO) to do 0-100 in 5sec. Can anyone give me the website address of the same as i have lost his card.
	() Thanks