Part 1 – Cars
By Pradeep Mankame, Aero, H3
It was late 1977, past the monsoon season. Gargi and I were dressed to attend a wedding reception. We had just stepped out of the gate to hail a cab …… and lo, there was a heavy sudden unseasonal downpour completely drenching us! Needless to mention, we had to return home for a change of clothes.
A decision to buy our own car was unanimously forced upon us by nature!
Being in the job for 3 years with a pay-packet around a grand per month and Gargi still pursuing her M.D., a new car was only a dream!
Thus started a search for a secondhand car.
Those days there were only three Indian cars, the Ambassador, the Fiat and the Standard. Secondhand cars would be their derivatives. Imported cars attracted double Road Tax and therefore not in consideration. A small car like a Baby Hindustan (Indian made Morris Minor), a Fiat (Dukkar – pig – as was popularly known then) or a Standard 8, 10, Companion or Herald were the available choices. For some reason the Baby Hindustan cars were not available. Fiat was not my choice plus they were in demand for taxis hence pricey and only ‘Taxi Canceled’ were in the market which were ones that were heavily used. That only left Standard of which the Herald model being a two door version was not desirable. I took a liking for the Standard Companion, a 5-door version which was like a van. So, the hunt started.
An auto agent known to the family, an old person (~ 75+) always in starched white pants and shirt, was engaged. He was very friendly and showed a number of vehicles but somehow the condition of the car and the price did not match my needs. He generally visited home in the mornings and relished the coffee served by mom. One day he dropped by in the evening and mom offered to make coffee, with folded hands he politely declined stating ‘Drink changes after 5.00 pm!’
Quite some months passed, and the agent’s stock also seemed to dwindle and so did his visits. He apparently was ill for a while.
Gargi liked to solve the crosswords in the Evening News and the Free Press Bulletin, evening editions. Apart from the crossword, the rest of the paper did not exist for her. One evening she showed me an ad in the commercial section. “Standard 8 for sale, price Rs. 3500/=. Tel…….”
I immediately picked up the phone and dialed. There was no response, an office line I supposed.
Next day I called from my office and there was a response! The man answering said he wanted Rs. 3500 for the car. Upon enquiring where we could see the car, he invited us to his office in Colaba. I, accompanied by a trusted mechanic from the office, went to the ‘Sopher’ office and met Mr. Sopher. I gather he was Jewish and owner of the Sopher brand of electrical equipment like irons etc.
But there was no Car! At that time, it had gone for a delivery and was not available. But we got talking and on seeing my card he recollected my name! He recollected an agent approaching him and saying that I would pay over 6K for it! But he told him that he wanted only 3.5k! After a cup of tea, we decided to visit again around 3.00 pm when the car would be available.
Just before 3.00 pm, to be on the safe side and to check if the car was available, I dialed Mr. Sopher and mentioned about the ad. “Sold” was the response as in auctions and the phone was slammed! My heart skipped a beat. Being persistent, I called again and mentioned it’s me. This time he was cordial, thank God, and mentioned that he was waiting for us.
Mr. Mechanic and I marched again and got to see the Jalopy! Mechanically, the car seemed ok, tires were moderate, paint work needed a lot of attention but there was not much rust, the felt upholstered roof was hanging low. Mr. Mechanic declared that at the offered price it was a steal. I felt so too. Having agreed to purchase the car I offered to pay by cheque, but he wanted all cash (in those days) but he agreed to let me pay up at delivery. To be certain he did not change his mind, I insisted on him taking a small advance and paid him Rs. 200 or so.
My driving was a bit rusty, and Gargi didn’t drive till then. We requested Gargi’s aunt who was an expert and also owned a Herald. Gargi, Aunt and I took delivery and Aunt in the driver’s seat got familiar with the vehicle and drove it to the suburbs.
We noticed that the fuel indicator was not working, so we pulled up to a gas station. The attendant had to search for the fuel inlet as there was none! He suggested opening the boot, and there it was! He started to fill and stopped! The tank was full! Mr. Sopher had handed the car over with a FULL TANK! Bless him.
Now the somewhat rundown Jalopy stood proudly on the street in full view from the first-floor balcony. Next day, Sunday, my colleague from the Management Class passed by on a Scooter and stopped on spotting me. We had a general dialogue, he on the street revving the engine and I in the balcony. This went on for about 10 minutes and then he flashed a smile and announced his purchase of the scooter for Rs. 4500. So, I drew his attention to the Jalopy and announced I had purchased it for Rs 3,500! He just accelerated and went off!
When the car was bought, petrol was at Rs. 2.50 a liter. I guess the government got wind of my purchase, the next month it was raised to Rs. 3.50 per liter, a whopping 40%!
It was a 1956 model, already 22 years old. By RTO regulations it had to undergo their inspection for change of title. In order to make life easy, I became a member of WIAA which then was quite powerful and offered a lot of services in the auto field. On the appointed day, with the WIAA representative, the car was taken to the RTO office at Tardeo. We waited all morning but nobody showed up. Apparently the WIAA rep had no influence. Finally, around 3.00 pm I took the initiative and talked politely to the inspector to do the needful. He came to the cars and chose to check a showroom looking Fiat first. He went around it and the news was it was rejected for a nonfunctional ‘hand brake’.
Next was the Standard 8! He had a sinister look around the car and sat inside. Then we went for a spin. Of course apart from other nonfunctional items, the hand brake did not work too. The Inspector was nice, he informed me why the new looking car was rejected. Here the Marketing experience came in handy. I pleaded with him that I had bought the car to present it to my wife when she got her M.D.! (That way he would know it would be in a doctor’s hand). And of course I would not hand it over in this condition. But to get the title changed RTO passing was a must! Once the car title is changed it would go straight to the Garage and be converted into a fully functional car! I would also bring it back for him to see it! He mulled it over for a while and said, do not inform anybody outside that it is passed, all without any consideration!
According to my promise, the car was completely stripped at Air Works India where my father was a director. The Body was taken apart, upholstery stripped, wiring taken apart, and the car was fitted with all new components. It looked as if it was driven off the showroom! The total repair expense was around Rs 6,500 taking the total car cost to Rs. 10,000.
When the car was parked on the street, one of the agents offered Rs. 15 K and a Dukkar Fiat in exchange! The car was also taken to the RTO, but the same officer wasn’t around.
Financially, the car turned out to be beneficial too. The Cooperative Credit Society run by the employees offered me a loan of Rs. 5000. My superior noticed the car and even took a ride in it. He offered me a car allowance of Rs. 350 per month as a tax-free addition to my income! Within a year the car was totally amortized!
Overall, we had a good time with the car. In a few years’ time the Maruti appeared which was touted as a ‘One Key Car’. One key did all the work, opening the car, the boot, and starting the engine! By then our Standard was also not only a ‘One Key Car’ but also a ‘Any Key Car’! Any key worked on everything! Mention of this evoked a good laugh.
A few more things – Car Stickers, these were a craze at that time and legal too. Gargi was great at getting good ones. Among the ones she stuck on the rear-view windscreen of the 22+ year Jalopy were: “My BMW is in the Garage today” and later, “See you later Mr. Overtaker, I am the Undertaker.” On our red, high roof Maruti van, “When I grow up I want to be a BEST bus”
The one that stumped me though was on the glove compartment of her Fiat “Don’t criticize your wife’s judgment, look whom she has married!” Overall, Gargi and I used 17 to 18 cars between us, initially used ones and later new ones. The Standard 8, BML 7594 remained a very memorable one; the car which brought both our newborns home from the hospital!
IIT Bombay 1974 Reunion 