Tata Nano: Ratan Tata, head of the leading Indian Industry conglomerates, has kept his promise of bringing out the cheapest car in the world at around Rs.100,000/- ( less than US $ 2500/-). He unveiled his prize car on 10th January 2008 in the Delhi Auto Show much to the consternation of his competitors around the world.
Tata Nano is one of the smallest cars - with a 625 cc twin cylinder petrol engine which produces about 32 BHP and delivers about 20 km to a liter of petrol. It has steel metal shell with integrated rear glass and has tested the crash worthiness of this diminutive car. The nearest rival and the venerable Maruti 800 is slightly bigger with about 80 thousand rupees more price tag. The Chinese Cherry (another competitor) sells for about US $ 3500/-. This no frills basic car will offer the masses a chance to own a car. If Ratan Tata can mass produce this little wonder at the rate at which the World wants, he has brought on the second revolution in cars - only next to Henry Ford.
Tata Engineering has notched up several technical feats - the launch of a true indigenously designed car in India - Tata Indica in the year 1998, first Indian SUV - Tata Safari, again in the same year and TATA ACE - a micro truck with the engine block cleaved in half from a TATA Indica engine block to reduce the costs. They have gone to a great deal of trouble to reduce the cost of production. Tata Nano is probably the Jewel on the Crown.
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