The Maruti 800 was one of the most successful cars to run on Indian roads. It was the first car that gained enough popularity to have the entire nation want to own one. Launched in 1983, this iconic car was seen as a symbol of success and was called ‘people's car'. Many celebs also owned the car at some point in their journey and for some the journey began with the Maruti 800. Let's have a look at the stars whose first car was this beloved four-wheel:
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The God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar is a petrolhead with some of the coolest cars in his collection. But between his luxury cars and sports cars he still misses his first car which was a Maruti 800. His love for the car emerges for the fact that it was the first car he bought from his own money that he made playing clicket professionally. In his interview on a popular TV show, Sachin mentioned that he would love to have his first car back. He even mentioned on screen that he sold it off and requested that if anyone still had it they should contact him.
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Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali is known for his poetic stories and hard work, but he's also known for owning a Maruti 800. It was Imtiaz's first car and he recently revived its memory by sharing a picture on Instagram riding on a highway. The car seen in the picture is a Maruti 800 hatchback, the new model that company launched in 1997 with some significant changes. The company sold over 26 lakh units of the car in different models in its 31-year run. It was a loved car for many Indian households and can still been seen driven around, although rarely.
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Mr. Harpal Singh is a special mention when it comes to the people whose first car was Maruti 800. Harpal Singh and his wife were the first ever proud owners of the car which gave them a celebrity status in India. In 1983, Mr and Mrs Harpal Singh bought the first Maruti 800 for Rs 47, 500 and got the car's keys directly from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The couple continued to use the same car during their lifetime. Recently, Malayalam superstar Mammootty acquired the very same car from Harpal Singh´s family. That car still holds vintage value as the first Maruti 800 to be ever sold. “This is not just a car; this is the four-wheeled miracle that brought vehicle revolution to the common man,``said Mammootty, in an interview to Mathrubhumi. ``I still remember the day car was handed over to Harpal Singh and the news that followed with it. This vehicle had become the superstar then. There may be many reasons that the owner's children can give, but it is our responsibility to protect it. I'm ready to buy it; not for me, but for the future generation, to remind them that India started moving with this car.”
It doesn´t come as a surprise that such a high number of Indians had the Maruti 800 as their first car. As a car, it still hasn´t run out of fans. Three decades later today, the life of the car has finally run its course, but it continues to be a beloved household name in India.
