| From Hindustan 14 to Team-BHP
Having read so many comments of fresh inductees that they had waited several months for approval or had registered umpteen times before they were cleared, I was a little unsure of my fate. So it was with some surprise, but a feeling of distinct elation, that I saw the Team-BHP email sitting in my mail box yesterday informing me of approval. That too, in just ten days of registration. I thank the Moderators for this approval.
My association with cars goes back to the first family car acquired by my father before I was born. A Hindustan 14. I would not know how many of the young Team-BHP members would know this but we are talking of over 50 years ago. Cars were rare then, and the shiny black Hindustan 14, based on the Morris 14, with big black tyres having broad white sides, was a beauty (references to this car exist on the Forum). That was my initiation, sitting in my fathers’ lap, and steering. Coupled to this was my idiosyncrasy that was always a source of some discomfort to my father. I would get my hair cut only when sitting on the Hindustan 14 bonnet. Again those were the days when barbers did not have shops, but would come on home-visits. Time flew and we went through a series of cars: Hindustan 14, followed by Fiat 1100D, Ambassador, Premier Padmini, Maruti 800, yet another second hand Premier Padmini that I still have, and this February a Hyundai i10 Magna. I have done many trips by road, the longest being Lucknow-Dehra Dun-Mussoorie-Dhanulti-Narendra Nagar-Chamba-Dehra Dun-Lucknow. That was climbing up to almost 10K feet, on the Maruti 800, with 4 adults and 1 child - my son (now at the MIT, Manipal, doing BE).
My occupation is University teaching and scientific research (microbiology, virology, recombinant DNA technology), and my real exposure to a variety of cars came with my first research jaunt to France many years back. The Mercedes, BMWs, Peugeots, the Volvos, were such fun to see and ride in, and the growl of the BMW would fill me with such excitement! I still can’t forget the sight of Porsche Carrera as it whizzed past. I also can’t forget that brilliantly painted Lamborghini that had Italian number plates, was parked audaciously wrongly, and the French traffic police instead of filling out a parking ticket, were busy admiring it, even calling their nearby stationed colleagues on walkie-talkie. It was as if they felt that issuing a parking ticket to that angelique Lamborghini would be sacrilege.
I came across Team-BHP in June this year while wanting to upgrade to the SX4 (sadly, from my Premier Padmini that I have driven all these years, the i10 belongs to my wife who moved up to it from the Maruti 800), and I was looking for reviews. The obvious comparison was with the ANHC, that I had driven in June itself, and which was such an excellent drive. But somewhere, it seemed a little too sophisticated, and I was drawn towards the SX4. Just as I was on the verge of deciding, the SX4 production stopped, and frankly it was the discussion thread on the possible modifications that Maruti may/may not make in the new version, that made my interest in Team-BHP go up manifold. Now that SX4 has been relaunched, I hope to acquire it shortly. And I hope it would be a good choice. Time alone will tell. My son insists that I should buy the Linea, but the cramped rear seat, and the not so good service track record of Fiat are huge stumbling bocks. I think it would be the SX4. Fingers crossed.
It’s a pleasure to be on the Forum, it’s a pleasure to be writing this post, and I look forward to a satisfying association with members of Team-BHP. On the lighter side, amongst the many advantages of being on the Forum, is the hope that I would be able to stay one step ahead of my son who is a car and bike enthusiast (buff?) of considerable quality…..
Last edited by Samurai : 1st November 2009 at 13:17.
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1st November 2009, 13:15
