Maruti Suzuki is currently the largest car manufacturer in India. It all started with the Maruti 800 back in 1983. The first Maruti 800 that was sold by the manufacturer was recently bought back and completely restored. The car is now displayed at the Maruti Suzuki headquarters in Delhi. Here, we have a video that shows how India’s first Maruti 800 hatchback looks after complete restoration.
The story behind India’s first Maruti 800
Maruti completely changed the course of the Indian automotive industry when they launched the 800 back in 1983. The first car rolled out of the production line in 1983, and back then, the price for this brand new hatchback was Rs 48,000. The first car was delivered to Mr. Harpal Singh, an employee at Indian Airlines. What made things even more special was that Harpal Singh received the keys to his car from the then-Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.
Harpal Singh used this car for decades. In 2010, Mr. Singh passed away, and his wife passed away in 2012. Their children were not using the car after the couple’s death, and it was abandoned. The car was parked in an open space and was covered in dust. Many of the panels had started to rust. Maruti officials also came across the images and decided to get in touch with the then-owners. They bought the car back and got it completely restored. As the car was restored by Maruti itself, they used genuine parts and panels to get it back to factory condition. After restoration, the car is displayed at the headquarters.
Maruti 800
All the metal parts on this Maruti 800 have either been replaced or restored to their original condition. The bumper, bonnet, headlamps, and turn indicators were all replaced as part of the project. The video shows the restored front grille with the Maruti 800 badge. The metal bumpers have turn indicators integrated into them. The headlights and tail lamps on this car have also been restored. The steel rims on this Maruti 800 were also restored. Just like the exterior, the interior of this small hatchback has also been restored.
The dashboard, switches, steering wheel, and instrument cluster were all restored as part of the project. They all look clean and in factory condition. It does look retro, and the basic interiors give it a classic car look. There is no doubt that the Maruti 800 is one of the future classic cars. The front seats come with adjustable headrests, while the rear bench seats miss it. The upholstery on the seats has been redone, and it now gets a black leatherette or rexine material with fabric portions in the center with check design elements.
The Maruti 800 was one of those cars that realized the dream of owning a car for many middle-class families. It was not the most feature-loaded car. Maruti used to offer the hatchback in three variants: Standard, AC, and Deluxe. It did not come with power windows, power steering, or even a music system in the lower variant. The AC was also offered as a premium feature. The Maruti 800 was offered with a 796-cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine that generated 39.5 Ps and 59 Nm of peak torque. Finding a clean-looking Maruti 800 is quite difficult these days, as most of them have either been dumped or modified.