Maruti Suzuki 800 Automatic: A Closer Look At India’s First Automatic Car [Video]
Maruti Suzuki discontinued the iconic 800 hatchback from the market almost a decade ago. The 800 holds a special place in the hearts of every Indian. It was one of those cars that realized the dream of owning a car for many middle-class families. Even today, you can find some clean-looking examples of Maruti 800s in many parts of the country. We have seen several modified versions of the Maruti 800 in the country. However, we have a video here of a Maruti 800 that is different from the ones we have seen so far. What makes this 800 special is that it is a rare version of the 800 with an automatic gearbox.
The video has been shared by Motozip on their YouTube channel. It shows a Maruti 800 that has been neatly restored. This is a 1993 model Maruti 800 and it comes with a factory-fitted automatic transmission. The car is owned by Mr. Salman, who happens to be the second owner. This is the version that came right after the original SS80. The car has been restored and customized by its current owner. For example, the car now has aftermarket alloy wheels.
The owner of the car has also replaced its front bumper with an original-spec component. While the original car had the ‘Maruti 800’ badge placed on its front grille in an offset manner, the grille of this car has the badge right in the middle. The car retains its original white paint. Moving inside, the owner made customizations to the interior as well. The car now comes with an aftermarket Bluetooth-enabled music system and a race-spec three-spoke Momo steering wheel.
The original Maruti 800 did not come with power steering. The first owner of this car actually got power steering retrofitted into the car to make his life easier. Apart from that, this Maruti 800 retains the three-speed automatic gearbox, which was available in this version of the hatchback for a brief duration.
In the video, Salman explains how he got the old Maruti 800 automatic. He bought the car from its previous owner for Rs 50,000. It may not look like a huge amount, but considering the age of the car, which is almost 30 years, the car held its value pretty well. The current owner can be heard talking about the Maruti 800 in the video, and he also mentions how his version of the car is special compared to others, as not many examples of the automatic Maruti 800 are currently in the country.
The Maruti 800 was a car that made small cars popular in India. 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. The car was used by Harpal Singh till 2010, and after his demise, his children abandoned the car, leaving it to rust outside. Maruti’s management came across the pictures of the abandoned Maruti 800, and they decided to buy the car back from Harpal’s children. The car is now fully restored and displayed at the brand’s headquarters in Delhi.