Automotive and Motorsport Trivia

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

Somebody's Looks

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

Important and deserving attention

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

To appear

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

An automobile

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

Elephant's teeth

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

Something that is costly

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

To give satisfaction

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Directions: Read the passage and choose the option that replaces the following.

Customers or patrons

THE AGE OF THE CLASSIC CARS
The 1920s saw the emergence of the great European producers—Austin, Morris, Singer, Fiat, and Citroën. Universal motor transportation, that is, transportation for all, was a long way off, but the idea of the small car was made real in the Austin Seven and the Fiat Topolino. These two cars were modelled on the Italian Ettore Bugatti's tiny Bébé Peugeot of 1911, which was to have a very deep effect.
The decade 1925–35 was notable not only for the appearance of many new small automobiles but also for the building of many ultra-large ones. The years from 1925 to 1942 are remembered by collectors of automobiles as the classic years, a period that saw the rise of the luxurious fast motorcar to a peak it seemed unlikely to reach again.
The first name in this field was Rolls-Royce, founded in 1904. Most Rolls-Royce chassis are designed for limousine and large sedan bodies, but the firm once made a comparatively light car, called the Twenty, and it has throughout its history produced fast models in addition to its regular line—e.g., after World War II, the Continental, built under the Bentley Motors Ltd. label.
Other motorcars of this type included the Hispano-Suiza of Spain and France; the Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss, Talbot (Darracq), and Voisin of France; the Duesenberg, Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow of the United States; the Horch, Maybach, and Mercedes-Benz of Germany; the Belgian Minerva; and the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. These were costly machines, priced roughly from $7,500 to $40,000; fast (90 to 130 miles per hour); as comfortable as the state of the art would allow; and limited in luxury only by the purse of the purchaser. The great custom coach (made according to the demands of the customer) builders of England who made bodies for Rolls-Royce machines, were able to meet any thing that their clients asked, and were prepared to satisfy any request, whether for upholstery in matched ostrich hide with ivory buttons or for a dashboard in rosewood.
The most expensive standard automobile of which there exists convincing record was the Type 41 Bugatti, produced in the 1920s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian of extraordinary gifts who built cars in France, most of them racing and sports types, from 1909 to 1939. The Type 41 Bugatti, also called La Royale, was cataloged at a chassis price of 500,000 francs, about $20,000. Only six of the cars were built.

Who was the originator of the oldest French car, which was seen in India by a professor, who was on his worldwide tour?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are in bold to help you to locate them while answering of the question.

One of the oldest cars seen in India was a Serpollet, a French car, named after its inventor. It was noticed by one Peter Moore, a Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of London, while he was wheeling through India on his worldwide tour.

The first car was imported by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad in 1895. The first Rolls Royce, known as the pearl of the East, was brought into the country in 1908 by the then Maharaja of the Gwalior State, Madhava Rao Scindia, who was the grandfather of the Railway Minister during Mr. Rajeev Gandhi’s government, Mr. Madhav Rao Scindia. However, the market for the cars in India was very limited in those days.

Thus, the Indian market was monopolised by the two domestic manufacturers, who were manufacturing the foreign-designed Ambassador and Premier Cars. This went on for nearly forty years. While the automobile industry in the world had undergone a sea-change, in India,  it was still using the obsolete technology.

In 1959, the Government of India appointed on official committee, under the Chairmanship of an able administrator-economist, Mr. L. K. Jha, to study the possibility of manufacturing India’s own low budget car called the people’s car. A similar committee was again appointed under another official, Mr. G. Pande, in 1961.

A big nationwide debate followed as to what type of car India should have, whether it should be manufactured in the public or private sector. Those were the days when the public sector was the most acceptable form of economic system considered in India. Therefore, the general consensus was that the car should be produced in the public sector and it should be priced as to be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Then come the oil crisis of the 1970s. It shook the whole world, especially India  and the western developed countries, which were dependent on imported oil. In Europe and the United States, public debates started, actuated by the environmentalists and government economists,  whether it was proper to have huge oil consuming big cars or to have small economical family cars which would not be petrol-guzzlers. The consensus, therefore emerged that India should manufacture a small fuel efficient car, which should be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Thus, the debate, which had started during the time of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru came to fruition in the late 1970s. The decision to set up the project to manufacture a small fuel efficient car was quickened because the late Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of the former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, took active interest in this project. He set up a company in the private sector to manufacture the car, named Maruti, in collaboration with the Japanese automobile market leader Suzuki.

After Mr. Sanjay Gandhi’s untimely death in an aircrash, the government took over the company, and thus the Maruti Udyog Limited was born in 1984. And ever since the Maruti car appeared on the Indian roads during the last few years, the automobile scene has witnessed a sea change. Now, nearly 70 percent of India’s domestic market is served by the Maruti Car. Maruti has become the status symbol for India’s burgeoning middle classes. Estimated to be 150 million, this segment of population is larger than Europe’s combined market, which emerged after the European community came into existence legally in 1992. The car has also brought about quality consciousness among the automobile consumers as well as dealers. The automobile sector, which was almost negligible earlier, has started expanding.

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below.

Which car was known as the pearl of the East?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are in bold to help you to locate them while answering of the question.

One of the oldest cars seen in India was a Serpollet, a French car, named after its inventor. It was noticed by one Peter Moore, a Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of London, while he was wheeling through India on his worldwide tour.

The first car was imported by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad in 1895. The first Rolls Royce, known as the pearl of the East, was brought into the country in 1908 by the then Maharaja of the Gwalior State, Madhava Rao Scindia, who was the grandfather of the Railway Minister during Mr. Rajeev Gandhi’s government, Mr. Madhav Rao Scindia. However, the market for the cars in India was very limited in those days.

Thus, the Indian market was monopolised by the two domestic manufacturers, who were manufacturing the foreign-designed Ambassador and Premier Cars. This went on for nearly forty years. While the automobile industry in the world had undergone a sea-change, in India,  it was still using the obsolete technology.

In 1959, the Government of India appointed on official committee, under the Chairmanship of an able administrator-economist, Mr. L. K. Jha, to study the possibility of manufacturing India’s own low budget car called the people’s car. A similar committee was again appointed under another official, Mr. G. Pande, in 1961.

A big nationwide debate followed as to what type of car India should have, whether it should be manufactured in the public or private sector. Those were the days when the public sector was the most acceptable form of economic system considered in India. Therefore, the general consensus was that the car should be produced in the public sector and it should be priced as to be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Then come the oil crisis of the 1970s. It shook the whole world, especially India  and the western developed countries, which were dependent on imported oil. In Europe and the United States, public debates started, actuated by the environmentalists and government economists,  whether it was proper to have huge oil consuming big cars or to have small economical family cars which would not be petrol-guzzlers. The consensus, therefore emerged that India should manufacture a small fuel efficient car, which should be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Thus, the debate, which had started during the time of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru came to fruition in the late 1970s. The decision to set up the project to manufacture a small fuel efficient car was quickened because the late Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of the former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, took active interest in this project. He set up a company in the private sector to manufacture the car, named Maruti, in collaboration with the Japanese automobile market leader Suzuki.

After Mr. Sanjay Gandhi’s untimely death in an aircrash, the government took over the company, and thus the Maruti Udyog Limited was born in 1984. And ever since the Maruti car appeared on the Indian roads during the last few years, the automobile scene has witnessed a sea change. Now, nearly 70 percent of India’s domestic market is served by the Maruti Car. Maruti has become the status symbol for India’s burgeoning middle classes. Estimated to be 150 million, this segment of population is larger than Europe’s combined market, which emerged after the European community came into existence legally in 1992. The car has also brought about quality consciousness among the automobile consumers as well as dealers. The automobile sector, which was almost negligible earlier, has started expanding.

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below.

Who was Peter Moore?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are in bold to help you to locate them while answering of the question.

One of the oldest cars seen in India was a Serpollet, a French car, named after its inventor. It was noticed by one Peter Moore, a Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of London, while he was wheeling through India on his worldwide tour.

The first car was imported by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad in 1895. The first Rolls Royce, known as the pearl of the East, was brought into the country in 1908 by the then Maharaja of the Gwalior State, Madhava Rao Scindia, who was the grandfather of the Railway Minister during Mr. Rajeev Gandhi’s government, Mr. Madhav Rao Scindia. However, the market for the cars in India was very limited in those days.

Thus, the Indian market was monopolised by the two domestic manufacturers, who were manufacturing the foreign-designed Ambassador and Premier Cars. This went on for nearly forty years. While the automobile industry in the world had undergone a sea-change, in India,  it was still using the obsolete technology.

In 1959, the Government of India appointed on official committee, under the Chairmanship of an able administrator-economist, Mr. L. K. Jha, to study the possibility of manufacturing India’s own low budget car called the people’s car. A similar committee was again appointed under another official, Mr. G. Pande, in 1961.

A big nationwide debate followed as to what type of car India should have, whether it should be manufactured in the public or private sector. Those were the days when the public sector was the most acceptable form of economic system considered in India. Therefore, the general consensus was that the car should be produced in the public sector and it should be priced as to be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Then come the oil crisis of the 1970s. It shook the whole world, especially India  and the western developed countries, which were dependent on imported oil. In Europe and the United States, public debates started, actuated by the environmentalists and government economists,  whether it was proper to have huge oil consuming big cars or to have small economical family cars which would not be petrol-guzzlers. The consensus, therefore emerged that India should manufacture a small fuel efficient car, which should be within the reach of the growing middle class of the country.

Thus, the debate, which had started during the time of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru came to fruition in the late 1970s. The decision to set up the project to manufacture a small fuel efficient car was quickened because the late Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of the former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, took active interest in this project. He set up a company in the private sector to manufacture the car, named Maruti, in collaboration with the Japanese automobile market leader Suzuki.

After Mr. Sanjay Gandhi’s untimely death in an aircrash, the government took over the company, and thus the Maruti Udyog Limited was born in 1984. And ever since the Maruti car appeared on the Indian roads during the last few years, the automobile scene has witnessed a sea change. Now, nearly 70 percent of India’s domestic market is served by the Maruti Car. Maruti has become the status symbol for India’s burgeoning middle classes. Estimated to be 150 million, this segment of population is larger than Europe’s combined market, which emerged after the European community came into existence legally in 1992. The car has also brought about quality consciousness among the automobile consumers as well as dealers. The automobile sector, which was almost negligible earlier, has started expanding.