Team BHP gets quoted in the UK Sunday Times

ranjan united · 28th August 2006, 03:18

Its good to see an Admin from Team-BHP quoted in a British publication. Just shows that people around the world are noticing us. And lets face it, if it wasnt for such exposures, people like me would have never found this fantastic forum.

Bullfrog · 28th August 2006, 09:30

Quote 1 from article

"......says Rush Parekh of Team-BHP.com, a new luxury car club based in Mumbai....."

What is this luxury car club thing ? Me

Here people are arguing about X or X+1 kpl mileage typically....

Infact a lot of car buying public in India have always preffered function over form which is very evident in their buying decisions to date...and also by discussions on team bhp.

Quote 2 from article

"........Perhaps the largely Hindu population is hoping it might get its hands on one in the next life."

This is a typical kind of statement to be made by British where 'their' car companies are bought by either American Japanese or mainland Europeans. They could not make their own companies stand up against competition and now they cannot even protect their car companies from the typical 'bean counting' managers who are more interested in making money in short term than good cars in long term Rover (Now Over) being a good example.

Maybe in their next life they can think of bulding their own brand and selling........forget in India but their own Great Britain.

regards
Bullfrog

navin · 28th August 2006, 10:10

Firstly congratualtions to Mr. Parekh for being quoted. There is no such thing as bad publicity.

a) The article was written by a Brit for a Brit audience - it obviously spiced accordingly, hence the myopic last line. Unfortunately for the Brits, RR automobiles is now owned by BMW! :-) and you never know Tata Motors might well buy RR from BMW someday! Wonder what the author would write then! He has obviously not take the time to fully understand the details of "karma". Can't blame him his focus was on the RR's presence in India and the CURRENT Indian auto environment.

b) Indians are growing richer faster than most of the world (save US, China, Japan, etc..). Many Indians might be able to afford such brands long before their next life. In fact many Indians I know might well prove him worng incl. GTO! :-) The author has missed the point

c) We should be proud of statements such as this “But the car seems to bring only joy to people’s faces. I have not had one inkling of envy." in other places (like NYC) a car like this might be vandalised out of envy. Isn't envy one of the seven deadly sins?

d) When you have 1 billion people it going to take a while to push up the GNP but the GDP is moving along quite nicely. I wont be surprised if India continues on such a growth path for more than the next 5 years. At the end of this period India's middle class (defined more as "people who have dispendable incomce to purchase cars, vacation homes, exotic holidays, etc...") will have grown to past 10 million. This is larger than the entire population of countries like Denmark, Switzerland, etc...

sandeepmdas · 28th August 2006, 11:51

It is indeed heartening that we have a man like Ram on board. in fact, after reading the Brit article, I made a note that looked somewhat similar to the one wrote by Ram, but then decided not to post it. I did a free thought post in another thread in a couple of weeks back, and got badly mauled for it.

Instead, I went out and washed my luxury cars, the Indica and the Alto.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeroid

3. I dont see what we're argueing about...

That's a problem of that article. It seems that the original intention of that Hart guy was to do an article about something like "RR regaining its long-lost Indian market", but the man has lost his focus almost completely.

I am not sure about the mention about the Travancore royal family in it, either. I think I once read somewhere that the Travancore royal family was -and still is- among the most down-to-earth folks, and never owned luxuries like RR's or golden tableware, and the Maharajah's lunch was usually plain rice with five common "curries", served in a plantain leaf.

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin

At the end of this period India's middle class (defined more as "people who have dispendable incomce to purchase cars, vacation homes, exotic holidays, etc...") will have grown to past 10 million. ...

I think the size of Indian middle class NOW stands at 350 million, there are 35 crore Indians who can be termed as lower, middle and upper middle class.

Sorry for the long post.

normally_crazy · 28th August 2006, 12:47

Guys,

This article is about RR and whatever GTO has been quoted is from this link Team-BHP in London media thats dated 21st december 2005.

Check it out. Im right na ?

esteem_lover · 28th August 2006, 13:48

i agree with ram's comments, but, ram we have to think that this was published in Britain for the Brits. only because of internet, we were able to read it. the brits, like all westerners cant get enough of the Indian Maharajah. and the Indian Maharajahs, with their accumulated wealth cannot get enough of their "Maharajahs". There seems to be an aura or mystic surrounding the Indian Maharajah (Whatever they did during the British Rule )

but publicity-wise, nope, not that kind, where the author doesn't even know what he is talking about. i also feel that the piece about Rush has been lifted off the piece quoted by normally_crazy. and i think our own GTO can sue the times for lifting his views without his permission. lol

ess_a · 28th August 2006, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin

d) When you have 1 billion people it going to take a while to push up the GNP but the GDP is moving along quite nicely.

But GNP and GDP ALMOST mean the same thing!! You meant Per capita income instead of GNP didnt you....

Boom Shiva · 28th August 2006, 18:49

Good publicity for tbhp.

The article itself though seems like your typical Bombay Times misinformed tripe. As far as "only smiles and joy" goes, Mr. Poonawala should try parking his car on a public road and leaving it for a couple of hours. There'll be a lot more than a "P" engraved on his doors, that's for sure!

I recall reading up some of these very same facts not so long ago - the garbage trucks, pink slipper Rolls, dwarf masseuse stool etc - in Times of India.

directinjection · 29th August 2006, 18:21

This thread is titled: Team BHP gets quoted in the UK Sunday Times

My immediate reaction is: So what's the big deal? Are we to go ecstatic about it and start dancing?

Unfortunately, a lot of people in this country still consider getting quoted in the western media a great achievement, even if the reference to India/Indians isn't laudatory and the write-up in question plainly stupid, prejudiced or stereotyped.

This is nothing but a manifestation of the Indian inferiority complex that quite a few Indians suffer from.

Pardon my harsh words, but I think we Indians can do with a lot more self-respect.

ess_a · 29th August 2006, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by directinjection

Unfortunately, a lot of people in this country still consider getting quoted in the western media a great achievement, even if the reference to India/Indians isn't laudatory and the write-up in question plainly stupid, prejudiced or stereotyped.

This is nothing but a manifestation of the Indian inferiority complex that quite a few Indians suffer from.

Pardon my harsh words, but I think we Indians can do with a lot more self-respect.

We do tend to go overboard... I'm no exception either!!!

adya33 · 29th August 2006, 18:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by directinjection

Unfortunately, a lot of people in this country still consider getting quoted in the western media a great achievement

Hey directinjection,
We are not jumping up and down in joy for western media mentioning us.
We are happy because Team-BHP has got quoted in media, if it would have been Indian media then there would have been even bigger joy.

condor · 29th August 2006, 18:59

Guys, GTO was quoted, TBHP was mentioned. We were not featured.

It's some time since being quoted in Dec 2005. If that did give us publicity, what were the benefits? Did we get any additional members?

Any TBHP-ians who joined because of this one mention in an article in that paper: can you pls come forward?

The focus of the article was RR. It was by a brit, for the brits. IMHO, we need to leave it there.

subbarp · 7th September 2006, 09:13

The articles in my view doesn't do any bad.

Leave the poor author alone. He just wrote an article with some of his views.
Go ahead, buy those Rolls Royce, Phantom or whatever else you can... and grow aheadin life. Why do we always need to peep out. Buy these beauties (later in life if not now) and enjoy!!

28th August 2006, 03:18	#16
ranjan united BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada... But still a Bombay-Boy at heart !!! Posts: 409 Thanked: 3 Times	Its good to see an Admin from Team-BHP quoted in a British publication. Just shows that people around the world are noticing us. And lets face it, if it wasnt for such exposures, people like me would have never found this fantastic forum.
	() Thanks

28th August 2006, 09:30	#17
Bullfrog BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 194 Thanked: 114 Times	Quote 1 from article "......says Rush Parekh of Team-BHP.com, a new luxury car club based in Mumbai....." What is this luxury car club thing ? Me Here people are arguing about X or X+1 kpl mileage typically.... Infact a lot of car buying public in India have always preffered function over form which is very evident in their buying decisions to date...and also by discussions on team bhp. Quote 2 from article "........Perhaps the largely Hindu population is hoping it might get its hands on one in the next life." This is a typical kind of statement to be made by British where 'their' car companies are bought by either American Japanese or mainland Europeans. They could not make their own companies stand up against competition and now they cannot even protect their car companies from the typical 'bean counting' managers who are more interested in making money in short term than good cars in long term Rover (Now Over) being a good example. Maybe in their next life they can think of bulding their own brand and selling........forget in India but their own Great Britain. regards Bullfrog
	() Thanks

28th August 2006, 10:10	#18
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,198 Thanked: 9,301 Times	Firstly congratualtions to Mr. Parekh for being quoted. There is no such thing as bad publicity. a) The article was written by a Brit for a Brit audience - it obviously spiced accordingly, hence the myopic last line. Unfortunately for the Brits, RR automobiles is now owned by BMW! :-) and you never know Tata Motors might well buy RR from BMW someday! Wonder what the author would write then! He has obviously not take the time to fully understand the details of "karma". Can't blame him his focus was on the RR's presence in India and the CURRENT Indian auto environment. b) Indians are growing richer faster than most of the world (save US, China, Japan, etc..). Many Indians might be able to afford such brands long before their next life. In fact many Indians I know might well prove him worng incl. GTO! :-) The author has missed the point c) We should be proud of statements such as this “But the car seems to bring only joy to people’s faces. I have not had one inkling of envy." in other places (like NYC) a car like this might be vandalised out of envy. Isn't envy one of the seven deadly sins? d) When you have 1 billion people it going to take a while to push up the GNP but the GDP is moving along quite nicely. I wont be surprised if India continues on such a growth path for more than the next 5 years. At the end of this period India's middle class (defined more as "people who have dispendable incomce to purchase cars, vacation homes, exotic holidays, etc...") will have grown to past 10 million. This is larger than the entire population of countries like Denmark, Switzerland, etc... Last edited by navin : 28th August 2006 at 10:14.
	() Thanks

28th August 2006, 12:47	#20
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	Guys, This article is about RR and whatever GTO has been quoted is from this link Team-BHP in London media thats dated 21st december 2005. Check it out. Im right na ?
	() Thanks

28th August 2006, 13:48	#21
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	i agree with ram's comments, but, ram we have to think that this was published in Britain for the Brits. only because of internet, we were able to read it. the brits, like all westerners cant get enough of the Indian Maharajah. and the Indian Maharajahs, with their accumulated wealth cannot get enough of their "Maharajahs". There seems to be an aura or mystic surrounding the Indian Maharajah (Whatever they did during the British Rule ) but publicity-wise, nope, not that kind, where the author doesn't even know what he is talking about. i also feel that the piece about Rush has been lifted off the piece quoted by normally_crazy. and i think our own GTO can sue the times for lifting his views without his permission. lol Last edited by esteem_lover : 28th August 2006 at 13:55.
	() Thanks

28th August 2006, 18:49	#23
Boom Shiva BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,055 Thanked: 18 Times	Good publicity for tbhp. The article itself though seems like your typical Bombay Times misinformed tripe. As far as "only smiles and joy" goes, Mr. Poonawala should try parking his car on a public road and leaving it for a couple of hours. There'll be a lot more than a "P" engraved on his doors, that's for sure! I recall reading up some of these very same facts not so long ago - the garbage trucks, pink slipper Rolls, dwarf masseuse stool etc - in Times of India.
	() Thanks

29th August 2006, 18:21	#24
directinjection Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 1,705 Thanked: 783 Times	This thread is titled: Team BHP gets quoted in the UK Sunday Times My immediate reaction is: So what's the big deal? Are we to go ecstatic about it and start dancing? Unfortunately, a lot of people in this country still consider getting quoted in the western media a great achievement, even if the reference to India/Indians isn't laudatory and the write-up in question plainly stupid, prejudiced or stereotyped. This is nothing but a manifestation of the Indian inferiority complex that quite a few Indians suffer from. Pardon my harsh words, but I think we Indians can do with a lot more self-respect. Last edited by directinjection : 29th August 2006 at 18:26.
	() Thanks

29th August 2006, 18:59	#27
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 15,864 Thanked: 16,014 Times View My Garage	Guys, GTO was quoted, TBHP was mentioned. We were not featured. It's some time since being quoted in Dec 2005. If that did give us publicity, what were the benefits? Did we get any additional members? Any TBHP-ians who joined because of this one mention in an article in that paper: can you pls come forward? The focus of the article was RR. It was by a brit, for the brits. IMHO, we need to leave it there.
	() Thanks

7th September 2006, 09:13	#28
subbarp BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 319 Thanked: 198 Times	No issues The articles in my view doesn't do any bad. Leave the poor author alone. He just wrote an article with some of his views. Go ahead, buy those Rolls Royce, Phantom or whatever else you can... and grow aheadin life. Why do we always need to peep out. Buy these beauties (later in life if not now) and enjoy!!
	() Thanks