[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I contributed to the powertrain design of this car as part of my electrical engineering degree.

Did you work for Eddy Current Controls at Kalletumkara near Chalakkudy?

i.e., you worked for the eccentric Shri M D Jose, the Owner & MD who was always found under some car or the other, not at his desk! He also introduced Microwave Ovens to India - the Batliboi Eddy.

The man used to drive around in his electrified Ford Fiesta (import) with a tow van following at a safe distance behind. I remember his poor office boy who was the unwilling guinea pig to ride his electric Kinetic Honda on errands.

[av8er]

Wow the Jayaram GT seems to be one heck of a car. I wish they can still bring it into production. They sure have one buyer :-).

How do you register these cars? Say for example I design a car tomorrow then how do I make it road worthy legally?

[Turbo yoda]

I found a YouTube video which shows the jayaram GT doing a quarter mile.

https://youtu.be/XI07KgWDVmw

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by av8er

Wow the Jayaram GT seems to be one heck of a car. I wish they can still bring it into production. They sure have one buyer :-).

How do you register these cars? Say for example I design a car tomorrow then how do I make it road worthy legally?

Pre 1988, It was easy because anyone could make a vehicle for his own personal use and take it to the RTO and get it fully tested and registered and as there was a provision for it in the MV Act of 1939.
Now it is a very rigorous process which involves lots of permissions, approval and finally clearance by ARAI ..

[Shreeram]

Originally Posted by arjithin

The image seems to be incorrect.
Some photos of the car are below. This car was way ahead of the market.



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I contributed to the powertrain design of this car as part of my electrical engineering degree.

Saw this yesterday night and felt very sad. I wish I had saved the car then..
Wonder if it's still there. It's been many years now and it was with a scrap guy.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

For some years, Escorts went about exhibiting a car. Any details?

Regards

Sutripta

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Haven't heard of the Escorts project - independent or collaboration? Now that you mention I remember reading something about it in Gautam's book.

Post the successful launch of Maruti 800 in 1983, Escorts sought license from Govt. of India to manufacture the Citroen 2CV in India. They displayed the car at Auto Expo 1986. I myself saw the car on roads in Faridabad where Escorts is headquartered. They had promised to price the car competitively. Being pitted directly against Maruti 800 (and probably better suited for our rough roads), Govt. of India predictably refused to grant permission.


More regarding the Auto Expo display here:

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/e...557-1986-01-31

[vrprabhu]

Speaking of bikes and scooters, don't these qualify to be included here?

BSA

Related thread -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-w...ml#post2410916

I remember an yellow coloured bike in our neighbourhood - its silencer was spectacular

Enfield Mofa

Related thread -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-w...ml#post2662511

It didn't need registration and licence, if my memory is correct. Their tag line was great - "Cheaper than walking"

There were other Enfield bikes too - Mini Bullet, Zuntapp, Fury etc. Don't know whether these could be termed oddities.

Suvega

Related thread -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-w...ml#post2676078

This was actually a single seater - but we could ride 'doubles' as there was provision behind the driver seat for carrying things!

Actually couldn't fathom why this moped folded out - may be Hero Majestic and TVS 50 were too much of a competition?

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by directinjection

Post the successful launch of Maruti 800 in 1983, Escorts sought license from Govt. of India to manufacture the Citroen 2CV in India.

You are right about the 2CV, but the one I'm talking about predated it. The car on display (IITF mid 70s??) was a sedan.

Regards
Sutripta

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Much has been discussed over the years of the various oddball automobile projects that were attempted in India, especially in the nascent years post Independence. The topic was broached in the Scootacar thread here, but not in enough detail. This thread is merely an attempt to collate most of the priceless data already spread over many places into one ... ... ...

What a lot of hard work you have put into this, and what a fantastic result. Marvellous work!



.

[awini]

the Quantum was to come with an optional diesel engine! i might have a brochure which i got from the auto expo that year, another serious proposal was to get the De la Chappelle here, ask Gautam sometime, he was heavily involved.

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Wow - another one turns up, and that too in such great condition. Lovely! Did you take any more pictures?



Thanks for sharing - this is exactly the kind of updates I was hoping for! How many were made?



I did make a mention of it, but just didn't go into detail - being more recent its already been covered before.






Haven't heard of the Escorts project - independent or collaboration? Now that you mention I remember reading something about it in Gautam's book.


The BSA Bond - yes, I forgot about that. Was it a wholly Indian creation? Or built under license?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Birla Brothers
I recall a car built by the Birla Brothers registered in Calcutta, however I cannot find the details at the moment. Not much is known, will update as and when I find the registration number, it was listed in the Calcutta records. If I remember right, the address mentioned was also 8 Royal Exchange Place, which was later the Hindustan Motors address.

A picture of the car is thankfully shared here.

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Standard 2000
A passing mention must be made also of the Standard 2000 - the SD1 with a Vanguard based engine. While there was sufficient interest, the project failed miserably, with many booking amounts never refunded.

A quick question on Standard 2000. Are you referring to a specific upgrade to Standard 2000 that was never seen through?

Asking as I distinctly remember sitting in a Standard 2000 fag end of 80s. Don't remember the specs much (was too young and too excited to care).

The car itself was nothing to write home about, except that it had 4 power windows in the era, and you couldn't operate them for the fear not leaving enough juice for the headlights and horn. The AC couldn't be turned on as the car lost all power beyond first gear.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Morvi
At this wonderful page, we have seen mention of Morvi cars as far back as 1912-1914. Going by the name, they were likely to be an outcome of the Royal garages. Then again a little digging threw up this page - which has a mention of the name Ralph Ricardo. A quick search on him shows that he was a pioneering engine designer in England - and that he moved to India in 1911 - that does seem to add up
Unfortunately nothing more is known, at least to me, and I look forward to more on the subject from the stalwarts.

Tweety bird tells me that there was a car in Bombay, registration number BOM 6666. It was registered to Ralph Ricardo, under the address "The Automobile Co. Ltd., Bombay." Unfortunately the make of car is not known.

Another small piece in the puzzle - or the plot thickens!

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

The Meera
We read more about the Meera earlier here

While the first model was said to be made in 1949 (51?), the later ones we assume date as late as 1975. This more modern version bore sharp, angular contours, with a striking resemblance to the Autobianchi A112 Giovani of 1973. More details here

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Chanced upon this image of the Meera dash that harit had shared earlier here. (Nostalgic automotive pictures including our family's cars)

[karlosdeville]

While going through this (Walk with History)thread I realised we missed an imported one - the small 3 wheeler built by Sona



Here is one I am reading about the first time - apparently an Electric car prototype developed by group of Bombay engineers in 1975.