Inflation has been on a constant upward trend for the past few years, and although the increase is slow, it continues to rise today. It’s hard to believe that what we used to pay for a new car is now just new car parts. Mahindra and Mahindra chairman Anand Mahindra gave us an example in one of his recent tweets looking back at how car prices have risen dramatically during the years gone by. rice field.
This got me into “Memories of Sunday”. At the time, I was at JJ College. We used to go by bus, but my mom sometimes let me drive her blue Fiat. I can’t believe this is the price! pic.twitter.com/jtppIXvFtI
— Anand Mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 29, 2023
Anand Mahindra recently shared a newspaper clipping of the January 25, 1972 article. This article reports the ‘minute’ markup received by new cars at the time in the Indian market. The article reports how major automakers in his 70s like Hindustan Motors, Fiat and Standard boosted the prices of popular cars like the Ambassador, Padmini and 2000 by his triple digit numbers. .
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Anand Mahindra talked about his mother’s Fiat
In a tweet, Anand Mahindra explained that he occasionally drove his mother’s blue-hued Fiat car while commuting from home to college. Even he was amused by saying how “cheap” the prices of cars were back then. Fiat 1100D reportedly received a price increase of 300 rupees while Hindustan Ambassador said he received a price increase of 160 rupees. Along with that, he also introduced a price increase of 600 rupees in Standard. days.
Entertainment is even more expensive given the prices of these cars at the time. I had to pay Rs 16,946 for the new Hindustan Ambassador and Rs 15,946 for the new Fiat 1100D. These prices for only a few thousand new cars may sound trivial in today’s day and age, when the same amount of money can only buy a new bicycle or a few new car tires. The prices were considered premium and high, so these cars were something only the advanced and elite could afford.
While Hindustan Motors and Fiat dominated the Indian car market, with luxury sedans only available to the elite, the dynamic changed when Maruti Udyog Limited entered the market with the Maruti 800 compact hatchback. . The Maruti 800 has broken new ground in the Indian automotive market with its compact size, frugal and reliable machinery and low price tag. The Indian automotive market has changed dramatically today compared to then.
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