Last Updated on Jun 30, 2021 by Manonmayi
Here is a journey of the success and rise of Tata Motors Ltd. They were a new and elusive carmaker in India who are now rising and competing with top automobile manufacturers worldwide. Below are 10 facts about Tata Motors Ltd.
This article covers:
- Fact No. 1: Celebrates 75 years of past glory, since 1945
- Fact No. 2: Globally present in over 125 countries
- Fact No. 3: Built the first SUV – Tata Sierra
- Fact No. 4: Tata Indica, India’s first indigenously built car
- Fact No. 5: Made a car with a built-in PlayStation
- Fact No. 6: Owns Britain’s luxury car brand Jaguar Land Rover
- Fact No. 7: India’s first sports car named RACEMO
- Fact No. 8: The backbone of the Indian Army vehicles
- Fact No. 9: Competes with international car brands
- Fact No. 10: Built the world’s costliest version of their cheapest car
Table of Contents
Fact No. 1: Celebrates 75 years of past glory, since 1945
They started as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company and used to manufacture trains. In 1954, they collaborated with Daimler Benz and started building commercial vehicles carrying the Mercedes logo.
Fact No. 2: Globally present in over 125 countries
The company has over 8.5 mn Tata branded vehicles plying globally with a worldwide network comprising over 8,400 touchpoints. Tata Motors has R&D centres in the UK, Italy, India, and South Korea. They are continuously trying to get into more automobile segments. Recently, they bought out Marcopolo, which used to sell buses under the umbrella of Starbus.
Fact No. 3: Built the first SUV – Tata Sierra
The Tata Sierra was a three-door sport utility vehicle produced by Tata Motors Ltd. in 1991. It was the first SUV to be designed and produced in India. Tata unveiled an EV version of the same in Auto Expo 2020.
Fact No. 4: Tata Indica, India’s first indigenously built car
A passenger hatchback car that was launched in the year 1998 became India’s first indigenously built car. With the spectacular design, the car was an instant hit in the Indian car market. It gave other cars like Maruti Zen and Ambassador a run for their money. In 2018, 20 yrs after the launch of the car, the production of Tata Indica and Indigo lineups were stopped. That was the end of an era!
Fact No. 5: Made a car with a built-in PlayStation
The company launched Tata Safari in 1998. And later in 2003, they introduced a special limited edition that was meant to be a lifestyle statement with things like road comfort, style, and entertainment. There were just 600 units produced that had a Sony PlayStation 2, which also doubled as a DVD player, 10 Audio and Video CD Changer, 2 front head-rest integrated LCD monitors, a 12 ltr refrigerator cum warmer, and a 130-degree rearview camera. Considering 2003, that’s a lot of tech in a car.
Fact No. 6: Owns Britain’s luxury car brand Jaguar Land Rover
In 1999, Ratan Tata and his team went to Ford to sell their car business but were rejected. However, nine years later in 2008, during the global financial meltdown, Ford was on the verge of bankruptcy. Tata Motors Ltd. bought their Jaguar Land Rover business for $ 2.3 bn.
Fact No. 7: India’s first sports car named RACEMO
Under the badge of its sub-brand TAMO, the company made India’s first limited edition sports car of only 250 units and named it RACEMO. It can go from 0 to 100km/hr in just six seconds! This car also became the first Indian car ever to be included in Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 3.
Fact No. 8: The backbone of the Indian Army vehicles
Along with commercial and passenger vehicles, Tata Motors Ltd. is the top defence contractor in India. The company has been supplying combat-ready vehicles to the Indian army for the past several decades. Tata Sumo was intentionally built for the Indian Army for military use & off-road transport in 1994. Sumo was named after Sumant Moolgaokar, a former MD of Tata Motors.
Fact No. 9: Competes with international car brands
Tata Prima, which is also known as the ‘World Truck’, competes with Volvos, Mercedes, and Scanias of the international market in terms of its design, engine performance, and cabin comfort.
Fact No. 10: Built the world’s costliest version of their cheapest car
To celebrate 5,000 yrs of jewellery making tradition in India, they collaborated with Titan Industries to build a Rs 22 cr version of Tata Nano ever! The car’s body is made with 80 kg 22-carat solid gold, 15 kg silver, precious stones that includes diamonds and rubies, and other expensive gemstones.
