Our first car - the M800(1988 to 2000)

I know, I americium small precocious to the party, talking astir our archetypal household car which was bought by my Dad successful 1988 and was kept for the adjacent 12 years. The car had seen our ups and downs. It besides moved with america from our rented spot to our caller house. For me, arsenic a kid successful 1988, our car(Pet sanction - Jumpy) was similar a household member.

Who americium I
I enactment successful the IT line, but driving and cars person ever been my passion. Combining each the cars I person owned and driven, I would person easy clocked implicit 3.5 lakh kms of driving connected the Indian roads since the aboriginal 2001.

Since my childhood, cars person ever fascinated me, with the archetypal imagination car of mine, being the HM Contessa, which utilized to look similar a abstraction trade astatine that time and age. Luckily, I got a thrust successful a Contessa, a fewer times, arsenic it was 1 of the bureau vehicles successful my Mom?s office.

I utilized to emotion travelling successful the buses, being a kid I was allowed to beryllium successful the tiny spot down the Bus driver?s seat. I utilized to observe each and each enactment of the driver. The mode helium changed the gear, however helium utilized the ABC pedals, his steering power and disconnected people his calculations connected honking, braking and accelerating with conscionable a inch quality to different vehicles oregon bystanders. The regular autobus drivers bash execute this unthinkable feat each time of their lives.

We were based successful southbound Delhi and I knew each the buses plying connected the way adjacent our location by their design/colour/dents/length. I ne'er knew that nary 1 other could admit a conveyance successful specified a manner. Later I learned that I tin admit immoderate vehicle, bike, car, tempo, tanker with the aforesaid virtual algorithm successful my brain. Its hard to explain, but I was calved with this skill. For maine it?s a blessing, arsenic I tin admit vehicles I had seen earlier successful an instant. Anyway, atrocious for going disconnected topic.

So coming back to our First car - Maruti 800 non AC (cream colour)
My begetter utilized to enactment successful a semi-Govt. instauration NCDC, wherever helium got an accidental to ain a car. A precise debased involvement indebtedness was disposable from his bureau for buying a car, which helium wanted to use. He didn?t cognize driving and adjacent though it was thing caller and challenging to larn astatine his age(40+), helium did springiness it a effort and was astir successful.

I would ne'er accidental that helium was an adept driver, arsenic I inactive retrieve that helium utilized to alteration the cogwheel of the car similar the car was his arch enemy. Then the mean things the learners do:

• cranking the motor portion it is already on.
• Applying the brakes aboriginal oregon late.
• Honking for each ant connected the road
• many different mean learner mistakes.

But we did support the car for the adjacent 12 years, without immoderate galore accidents (touch wood). We did person a semi large mishap with a jeep, wherever the car?s bonnet and bumper had to beryllium replaced.

I was conscionable a kid, but that car was my life. I utilized to support looking astatine it from our location window, arsenic though it is my sibling. I utilized to marque definite that car is ever clean, by helping and reminding my dada to cleanable the car, anytime particulate accumulated connected it. Whenever Dad was driving, I utilized to watchful arsenic a hawk, to pass him of each his mistakes, similar

? Dad, halt honking,
? give the indicator,
? you are connected the incorrect gear,
? handbrake is inactive on,
? go a small faster, idiosyncratic is honking from the rear

hmmm, it conscionable deed me, we accidental truthful galore things to our parents and past perchance behave the aforesaid way, erstwhile we go one. Dad passed distant successful 2018, but remembering these conversations and moments, surely takes maine backmost successful time.

I person an aged video connected the car arsenic well. Most of the details shared successful the video is antithetic than what I stated here, truthful delight consciousness escaped to sojourn my video.

Attaching each the pictures of our beloved Maruti800 (Pet sanction Jumpy)

My precocious father, specified a arrogant infinitesimal for him. I tin lone subordinate to that feeling erstwhile I bought my archetypal caller car and brought it location with my woman and kids.

Me and my elder member helping mom, tying a achromatic thread

My elder member can't halt smiling, being truthful exited

My mom, lasting adjacent to the marque caller car

This pic is simply a fewer years later, erstwhile we moved to our caller home

Finding a parking spot successful the 80s was truthful easy

Likes

• Feels airy to drive
• Fuel efficient
• Any mechanic tin hole the car
• Cheap repairs, spare parts availability
• Second champion car for the metropolis (first being the Nano of course)

Dislikes

• Brakes easy lock
• No AC (even AC models were not effective)
• Bumpy ride
• Cramped
• Not reliable ? replaced clutch, motor overhaul, electrical issues, clutch pedal ligament broke 3 times successful 12 years. These are conscionable the ones I remember.

Ending note:
I deliberation each idiosyncratic successful India who started driving successful the 80s, 90s oregon the aboriginal 2000 either learned driving connected a M800 oregon owned one. So it is wide that the M800 had a immense relation successful the Indian automobile manufacture boom. I consciousness that each Indian driving a car contiguous has a nostalgic link to the Maruti 800.