INDICA Memories…

It has been really long since I read any auto magazine, something I had never missed to do for so many years. Can’t blame it on work too… For I have not much of it! So I made it a point to go to the library and read one after dinner today. It was this month’s Overdrive and there was an awesome article on 10 years of TATA Indica. It made me quite nostalgic and I got all sweet memories of our old Indica. So here I am typing a post in the next 10 minutes!

Those were the days when Maruti 800, Omni and rarely a few Zens were the only cars one can see in my home town Neyveli. Our family also owned a white Maruti Omni, something that rattled and squeaked from day one! My dad was not very happy with it and finally decided to swap it for a proper car!

It was the time when a slew of new small cars from around the world had come into India! There were a lot of options like Santro, Matiz, Zen, Palio and Indica to consider! This was enough to leave us confused after weeks of “research” and “studies”. My vote was for the Palio. My mom wanted a Zen and my dad wanted an Indica! After lots of discussion we decided to take lots to decide the car. YES! Lots! Hahaa! And there u go I had to pick a chit to select our car out of the three…! I was really thrilled and guess what dad had won! It was Tata’s debut small car, the Indica.!

I was happy for I knew it was designed by the same design house that designed the Palio (still my dream car). Then I had almost forgotten it and left the rest to dad. One fine day our lovely white Omni was gone. I was so sad to see someone else drive her away…. I still remember peeping into the garage to see the empty space the whity had left…

But it was only for a week..! It was one lovely evening when I was cycling my way to home after school. I was in eighth standard then… From the distance I could see what I just could not believe! It was a gleaming new, Emerald green Tata Indica waiting for me outside our house!!!! I pedalled as fast as I could and just hugged her tightly…! That day I went round and round around the car.

I just loved everything about our Indi. I loved the low seating (after the Omni), the huge cabin, the remote boot release (even our current car Ikon doesn have one!), the speedo lighting… everything!!!!

She was a diesel and so would’nt have enough grunt out on the highways and with the air conditioner on, she just would be breathless, forget overtaking! But I would never let her down… For me she was a Ferrari! I would sit beside my daddy and would pester him to drive faster and faster.! I remember I used to fight with my dad if some other small car overtakes our Indi! Especially Santro for I hated it so badly! (I don’t know why, may be because it was smoother and powerful than our Indi! :P). And my dad used to mostly listen to me and at times even floor her! Ha! Thanks dad! I remember dad taking her to almost 140 to overtake a Santro that just went past! Hehee :D

We just loved our Indica and adorned her with every possible accessory that was available. Ours was the first Indi in town with alloy wheels! And also the first to have rear spoilers! She had lovely roof rails too! (silver ones! :D)

A lot of people today speak bad of the Indica. They complain of poor durability, poor refinement, low power and what not… But our Indi never let us down…Never did she breakdown.. Never did she make rattle or make a squeal. Never did she refuse to strain herself to overtake a Santro…!

Those 4 years with our Indica can never be forgotten. Finally a day came when my dad wanted a bigger boot in the car… and it was time for Indi to leave. Seeing her being driven away was the saddest moment of my life. I loved her so much… I then one day heard her new owner has crashed her….a serious rollover accident. But my Indi took it all and left the occupants with not even a single scratch… I heard she was badly damaged and a wheel just got shattered….i felt really sad for her. She was then worked on and has got back on the roads now. I recently got a chance to see her parked at a distance. Didn’t have a strong heart to go and touch her…

Love u Indi… Miss you dearly…