Indian vs Imported

Car design and manufacturing in today’s world is a completely globalised business. Chances are that your very Indian car will have critical engineering components made in Japan and Korea while the company making it may be owned by investors in USA or even Beijing (eg.: MG Cars).

Things were not so complicated in the past, and I am looking at the 1940s to 1960 in this piece. By the time the 2nd World War ended in 1945 and India rushed towards Independence in 1947, business was in turmoil. However, as I mentioned in an earlier piece, it was a dream period for car owners.

Huge military surplus sales and the large number of foreigners selling off their exotic cars ahead of their return to their homeland created a car market we can only dream of. There was an overall air of freedom, aided by thousands of jeeps sold off freely on the streetside by departing troops from foreign armies. Jeeps almost became like a unit of exchange, remember old timers.