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Old 29th June 2010, 13:02   #16
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My Dad's current drive is a Stage 1 Swift.

P.S: He is a proffessor by occupation & HOD by designation; and this is his daily drive to college
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Old 29th June 2010, 13:44   #17
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Very interesting to read about the previous generation's choices. Looks like Amby and Fiat topped the popularity charts in those times, till Maruti came along.

I can still remember slow long drives in Amby, and Madras to Mahabalipuram used to seem like a very long journey.
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Old 29th June 2010, 13:48   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rajushank84 View Post
Very interesting to read about the previous generation's choices. Looks like Amby and Fiat topped the popularity charts in those times, till Maruti came along.
Did they have really have any choices?
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Old 29th June 2010, 17:30   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carboy View Post
Did they have really have any choices?
The other choices were imports. There was a lot of chevy impalas, plymouths etc
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Old 10th May 2011, 13:46   #20
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

Just stumbled upon this thread now. Its a very interesting topic.

My Dad has had a couple of Fiat 1100s, 3 Ambys, Mazda 323, Maruti 800, esteem, Opel Astra and Skoda octavia in that order...

He is not much of an auto enthusiast but knows well technically about cars. For instance, he taught me how a four stroke internal combustion engine works at the age of 10.

Whereas I am a certified automotive nut and drives a stage1 modified car, my father still believes in practicality and function over any other parameter and all his cars were in stock trim.

You can make out the differences between us in the taste for cars by seeing the pictures below.

This is the fate of our octavia when I am not at home. (I live 600 Kms away from my parents)

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-skoda1.jpg



And this is how it is when I am home..

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-skoda2.jpg

Generation gap? May be..
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Old 10th May 2011, 14:14   #21
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

My dad's first car was a navy blue Maruti 800. Used it for 6 good years without any problems. Then he got a Tata Indigo in 2003 and used it till 2010 ( that too without any problems) and now using a Maruti Sx4. I would not call him an auto enthusiast as for him cars are just another mode of transportation. He dreams of buying one of the tuetons(BMW, Mercedes & Audi) one day.
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Old 10th May 2011, 14:22   #22
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

Close to heart topic.
My father bought the Omni when the Indian car market was about to explode.
I loved the Matiz. We even had a look. We even sat in one, but one fine day he decided to buy the Omni (1998)
Why did I not stop him then?
He said, "I cannot see whats happening in front of me in Matiz, and Omni, easily 8 can fit in"
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Old 10th May 2011, 14:53   #23
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

Sure Indeed its a Close to heart topic.

My story goes long back when I was allowed to hold the steering of our Sky Blue (It wasn't even sky blue, its was a different light shade of blue altogether) 1967 Fiat 1100D. This was my Dad's car. I have learned my driving on this. You see many from the same generation in Mumbai as Black yellow taxis.

Gear lever in Steering column, Ignition switch in top center, was running on Ceat Tyres ( I remember we bought few for 1100/- rs each). It used to give a fuel economy of 12 - 14 kmpl. I used to fill 12 Liters of petrol in 101 rs/-. We had driven it many a times long distances (thats time the definition of long distance was 350 km), Bokaro Steel City - Patna.

Lately I remember myself, changing the float in the fuel tank (Accessible form Boot) to get correct fuel level reading, Getting the Brake shoes changed from my FNG there and many other things. My sense of car is credited to this.

I remember the last ODO was 86,000 KM, sometime in early 2003, after that the car has not been driven. I can't forget the cranking sound, a sweet note of the engine and a subdued exhaust.

Only wish If I could have few pics handy.

Last edited by vipul_bscity : 10th May 2011 at 14:55. Reason: Spelling
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Old 10th May 2011, 18:04   #24
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

nice topic. as i recollect
1977 ambassodor
1984-fiat safari(red colour very one of its kind at that time)
1988-118ne
1996-maruti1000
1999-cielo executive
2002-OHC 1.5
2003-optra LT (still using with just 34k on odo.scratch less)
2008-alto(still using with 37k)
and latest addition by me is 1985 ss80 gifted to him few months back.black colour fully done up nicely.
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Old 10th May 2011, 18:44   #25
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

My father owned a bicycle till 1977.
1977- Vespa 150 second hand
1987-Bajaj Super new
1988-Premier Padmini
2000-White maruti 800 second hand
2008-White WagonR Lxi

He stopped driving in 2008 end, wagonR has been my baby since
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Old 11th May 2011, 00:21   #26
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

As for my dad it was his 2 legs first till he was in school. He used to go to his school walking on rail tracks without getting off them even once.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-rail.jpg



Then it was a borrowed cycle once he was in college.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-cycle.jpg

He then bought a Luna once he started working and got married.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-luna.jpg

Got a Mahindra Jeep from his office which had to returned very soon.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-jeep.jpg


After that he bough an Enfield Bike in the 80s which again he sold off as he couldn't afford 500 pm EMI.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-bike.jpg


After selling the Enfield bike he bought a Lambreta scooter which he used for a while and exchanged it with a Bajaj Scooter later.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-images.jpg Name:  lambreta.jpg
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Then he started his own Business and in 1995 he bought a used Brown Maruti VAN and used it a lot. One day while travelling with us the car broke down at night and thankfully it broke down near a village but the mechanic over there could do little about it so we had to take a bus and go to our destination. It was repaired and brought back home but my dad decided to change the vehicle.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-van.jpg

In 1998 he finally bought the first NEW Car in his whole family. It was a cherry red (phoenix red) Maruti 800. It was indeed a big deal to buy a car in those days in our city. We used to enjoy a lot of attention and his peers (business competitors) used to drive cars like 800 as well..
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-800.jpg


Finally he sold the 800 after using it for almost 2 years and bought a red Zen Lxi
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-zen.jpg

After using it again for 2 years he bought a Wagon R in light golden color which we used really a lot. It was driven for almost 70k kms. Did Akola-Haridwar twice and numerous Akola-Pune rounds.
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-wagon.jpg


After selling our faithful Wagon R in 2004 he bought a Graphite Pearl Honda City which again did a Pune-Haridwar trip, 2 Pune-Ajmer trip. Numerous Pune-goa and Akola-Pune trips. It was sold off due to GC issues when it got scrapped on Pune-Banglore highway and due to that oil leaked from the chamber and the engine was close to getting ceased.
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-city.jpg

Then along came Swift Petrol VXI in Silver color. It was one of the first swifts in the whole country and in fact we even received a trophy from MSIL "Swift Day One Edition" which was again used a lot between Akola-Pune with few trips to mumbai and goa. And was sold off at around 30k kms in 2 yrs for a price that matched its original ex showroom price. Still remember those days when I used to steal the car and go on drives with friends and at times all alone to NDA.

Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-swift-p.jpg


Then came the mighty SX4 in 2007 which is still with us and has done 1.3 lac KMS till date. It has gone to delhi, mumbai, goa, ajmer, chennai, hyderabad etc along with countless Akola-Pune runs.
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-sx4-d.jpg


In 2008 after getting rid of swift petrol and honda city in the previous year ny dad bought a White Swift Diesel VDI which was used for 70k Kms and sold of in 2010. the usual story follows here. It was mostly used by dad again but it was my car in its later months.
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-swift-d.jpg

In 2010 my dad did something totally unexpected. Something that we had never ever given a thought considering we have always stayed in the sub 8 lac category. He booked the first Aria in Pune. The car launched on 11th october and the bookings started on 12th of october. We are in love with this car and my dad is for the first time going easy on this car and not driving it too much. Dad expects that this one car is always going to be with him. Such is the build quality that we feel whenever we take it out.Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-aria-exterior-12-copy.jpg


Come 2011 dad buys another SX4 but this time it is a Diesel. Again it is of day one edition. No trophies this time :P
Click image for larger version

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Guess that is it for the moment. Cheers
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Old 11th May 2011, 00:39   #27
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

My dad's first car was a Maruti 800, 1988 model. We still have it and it runs just fine In 2007 he got a Skoda Octavia. The maruti has served us for more than 22 years, done about .5 lakh kms and still is good enough for the odd day when we may need it
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Old 11th May 2011, 01:01   #28
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

CARS

Dad was in the Army from 1952 to 1978 ; he owned a new Standard Herald before I was born,and my mom tells me that was a great car which was extensively used when he was posted in the East.

His next car was a Standard Super 10 1958 model which he got for 4600 bucks in 1974(I was around then)
Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!-10.jpg
This car was a real workhorse - did road journeys from Delhi to Gwalior,Vijayawada to Trichy,Trichy to Madurai,Madurai to Madras, Madras to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Bidar, Bidar to Coimbatore,Coimbatore to Trichy and finally Trichy to Chennai after which she disintegrated in a garage in 1988 - and finally went for 3000 bucks.

The biggest issue with the 10 was it required a starting handle start every morning;its ignition coil used to heat up on long drives;that apart it used to give us a clean 10miles per liter - which I believe is fantastic mileage.

Next came a Mark2 Ambassador pretty late in 1990 - for 25000 bucks - a very reliable machine which was with us till 1999 - Dad was forced to part with this one because of health issues.

Dad is no more ; fond memories of his cars,which I used to maintain off and on,bring a smile.

SCOOTERS

In his lifetime,he owned a Bajaj 150 from 1975 to 1992 and a Lamby Polo 150 from 1990 to 2000
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Old 11th May 2011, 01:05   #29
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

Fortunately for me my father has always had a fondness for cars infact I hold him responsible for my car mania. For the age of 6 or so he would make me sit on his lap while he drove.
The day I was born he bought his first Maruti on 19th march 1985. It was silver and had regn no 7711. We kept the car for 15 years and it was the car i learnt driving on in our building.
1989 he bought a white rover standard 2000 for around 5 lakhs which was big money back then but then you got a car wayyy ahead of it's time. It had power steering, power windows, rear wiper, etc. That car too we kept for over a decade, although it spent more time at the doctors towards the end of it's life.
We went on to getting a contessa, 800, esteem and zen over the years. In 2000 or so I took over the car buying decisions by suggesting to get the Honda city and Opel Astra.
After which came the Corsa and the Honda Accord the day I became legal to drive. The rest as we know is history

Last edited by Sahil : 11th May 2011 at 01:06.
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Old 11th May 2011, 09:02   #30
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re: Let's talk about our parents' vehicles!

Lambretta during late 70's-sold it off after using for about 4 yrs
Bajaj Chetak-1983-88
Premier Padmini(1967 make,3rd hand)-1986-1988
LML Vespa-early 90's(sold after 5 years of use)
Maruti 800 std-1987 till date(amazing car,has done over 1.5L kms,engine overhauled once,still gives an average of about 18 on highways,condition still looks fine,emotional attachment )
Hyundai Santro-2005 till date(about 37000kms)
Maruti Suzuki Ritz-2010 till date(about 7000kms)
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