Monday, February 15, 2010

Adventures in India (Part 1)

Gandhi walked a lot. Now, I know why.

In January 2010, my wife and I embarked on a month long adventure traveling around Northern India and Pakistan. Our journey involved nearly every mode of transportation; plane, train, motorcycle, bus, bicycle, rickshaw, and car. We visited Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar, Lahore, Multan, and Jodhpur.

The following photos highlight a few gearthoughts along the way.
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The first thing you'll probably notice about Delhi is the traffic. It's endless and doesn't move very fast. It's also loud because everyone is honking... constantly.

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In the late 1950's, Morris Motor Company in England manufactured a car called the Oxford. An Indian variant was produced and production of this car continues today. Behold the Hindustan Ambassador.

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There's just no substitute for cubic inches, except common sense of course. When you don't have much money, less is more, and both the Indians and Pakistanis happily make do with very small engines. Here's a Tata Motors Indica proudly displaying a V2 badge. Yeah, it's got a Hemi.

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The SUV below is a Mahindra Bolero Camper. It's a basic SUV, built on an ancient platform, with high ground clearance for driving on rural Indian roads. Equipped with 2500 cc diesel engine (72 whopping bhp), it popular in rural areas (when they can afford one). They look pretty bad ass.


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The landscape of vehicles produced by the Indian manufacturers was surprisingly diverse. Here's a Tata that's clearly modeled on a Mercedes Benz E class wagon (W124).

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Another angle on the Tata E class.
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How far have the Indians come? The Tata Sumo Grande below was designed in the UK and looks ready to hit the roads in the U.S.

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Mini vans are a popular choice all over India. Most are similar; tiny engines slung low over thirteen inch wheels, very basic suspension, and seating and cargo taking up nearly every bit of interior space.

The vans below were the livery of the Bhutanese Monastery in Bodh Gaya.

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Across the border in Pakistan, things are equally interesting. The Suzuki Bolan is a 1300cc micro van. I saw plenty of these putting down the road, sipping a vapor of fuel, stuffed tightly with human cargo. No need for crumple zones or crash testing when you've got people to absorb the impact. Despite their utilitarian function, owners are proud as this badge engineered Type-R attests.
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Western money goes far in India. For less than the cost of a budget rental car in the States, you can get one with an English speaking tour guide/driver, plus cover the fuel, tolls, and a generous tip. The trains are great, but having a driver is absolutely luxurious. That's our man Bilu taken in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

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You'll find few classic cars on the streets of India or Pakistan. The proud owner of this 80's XJ6 was having a tire replaced, the only Jaguar I spotted during our travels.

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Are the Indians a threat to the U.S. Market? Probably not just yet, but their designs and manufacturing quality have evolved so quickly that I think it's only a matter of a few years. One day soon, the Indians will likely be offering the lowest cost vehicles for sale on this side of the pond.

Saturday, February 13, 2010