As Indian car market has a vast potential of becoming one of the major regions for automotive manufacturers, the business opportunities for car customisation companies are also numerous. Interestingly, the new found trend of modifying cars according to personal preferences has been prevalent in the country. Many Indian companies that deal in customising cars have set up their showrooms across different parts of the country. Also to mention, many individuals names have started surfacing, which managed to transform their cars completely from the original make. One such name is Jagjit Singh, who has transformed Maruti 800 into a sports car, changing the overall body profile of the car.
In an exclusively conversation with Jagjit Singh, he told CarTrade.com that it took around Rs. 60-65 lakh in the development of dies, which were used in modifying the car. He inherited the automotive business from his father and has previously modified vehicles for persons with disabled needs. With the figure spanning more than 170 vehicles, Singh is a pro in car customisation business. As cars have always fascinated him, Singh dreamt of owning a sports car but since his budget did not allow him to do so, he got an idea of fulfilling his desire by modifying an entry level car.
The car that made headlines was a Maruti 800 that was bought from a second hand dealer from Vasant Kunj in Delhi for Rs. 35000. After buying this car, Jagjit Singh thought of completely overhauling the vehicle to make it appear like a sports car. The whole task took three years to complete, owing to which he incurred huge expenses ranging from opportunity costs to die making ones. The man behind the modified Maruti 800 aims to take the project on a commercial level thereby needing an investor for funding.
He has already registered the design of the modified vehicle with the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) of India and the car now stands patented. He later on divulged details about the future of such a car in India adding that audiences have given an overwhelming response to the vehicle. For offering modified Maruti 800 to masses, Singh said it needs government nod which can take up a significant amount of time. Since mass production is a distinct possibility as of now, the purpose of offering youngsters a sports car at affordable prices gets defeated with the high input costs. He later on stressed on the government policies that have restricted the scope of manufacturing such kind of vehicles.
Talking about the vehicle, it gets a sports car like appearance with bigger bonnet and round shaped bumper. With the absence of A and B pillar, Jagjit Singh has managed to make his car a convertible model. At interiors, the car bears an all new identity with red and black coloured upholstery. With the addition of a sportier steering wheel and air-conditioning vents, the car strikes a balance between elegance and modernity. The instrument cluster panel on the dashboard retains the conventional signs of Maruti 800 but the light illumination system and font size has been changed. The convertible car features a soft top roof which can be detached any time. At the rear portion of the vehicle, the convertible gets a complete overhaul with round tail lamps having crystal cluster set. At sides, the two door vehicle gets a typical sports car like grille which complements the appearance of the car.
