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EACH
time I come across Tata Nano these days, I remember my
late uncle in law, Tata Mariano.
He was a
G.I. (Genuine Ilocano), being born and raised in San
Fernando, La Union. His friends and glass mates alike
called him Lakay Anno.
But we
called him Tata Nano. Shortcut for Tata Mariano.
Tata
Nano, whose wife (Dolores) was the sister of my late Dad
(bless his soul), died almost 20 years ago. He was a
well-loved fellow, who chose the very day he wanted to
die—on February 14.
“I am a
lover, so I’m going to die on Lovers Day, Valentine’s
Day,” Tata Nano always said each time we killed a
Johnnie Walker on his birthday, August 4.
He kept
his promise.
Saying
his last good night to his wife, children and
grandchildren, he went to sleep on February 14, 1989.
When the house help went to rouse him for breakfast the
next morning, she found him dead. In his deathbed, he
was smiling. He was 94.
The
night before, Tata Nano was as strong as an ox. He had
visitors that night and booze flowed freely; he had
downed two doubles of Johnnie Walker. On the rocks.
Almost
20 years to the day Tata Nano died, another Tata Nano is
with us.
But this
new Tata Nano is the name of the much-ballyhooed
cheapest car in the world. Made in
India, it costs only $2,500.
Am I
seeing the reincarnation of my beloved Tata Nano?
The Tata
Nano car has a striking similarity with my beloved Tata
Nano. They are both small.
My Tata
Nano, a civil engineer who rose to become a DPWH
Division Engineer, was 4-foot-10. The Tata Nano car
measures just 118.5 inches long, 59.1 inches tall and
63.0 inches wide.
The Tata
Nano car is Indian-built and is also one of the world’s
smallest vehicles. It was one of the stars in the
recently held Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. It has
four seats, but no door for access to trunk space.
The Tata
Nano is powered by a 623-cc, two-cylinder engine placed
at the rear of the car (à la Volkswagen) and driving the
rear wheels.
I’m not
sure if we could consider 33 horses (a.k.a. horsepower)
enough to give power to the Tata Nano.
I guess
it’s not even suited for long-distance driving, say,
going down South via Slex or up North via Nlex. With
just a top speed of 60 mph, the Tata Nano is absolutely
designed as a city car.
But the
beauty of the Tata Nano—if it can be called that—is it
gets 47 miles per gallon.
“That’s
approximately 19.9 km per liter,” said my buddy, Arnel
“Dr. Einstein” Doria, a top gun no less from Honda Cars
Philippines Inc.
Not bad,
eh?
I do not
have any idea if the Tata Nano will ever reach the
Philippines. I have yet to hear any word about such
plans to have it sold here from the many Indians that I
know who are residing here.
But in
India, the Tata Nano is penciled for commercial sale
beginning in October. Its production target per year is
350,000 cars.
A report
from Geneva says while initially the Tata Nano will be
available only with its three-cylinder gasoline engine,
a diesel version will follow later.
In a
dispatch, it says, “It’s interesting to note that the
Nano is causing a bit of a stir in its native India
[where it’s called a ‘one-lakh car,’ which is 100,000
rupees], because though it will replace motorbikes for
many of India’s poorer folk, the downside is that with
more people being able to afford cars, city traffic
problems are bound to get even worse.”
The Tata
Nano cost of $2,500 is approximately only P120,000. Also
very affordable, indeed, to Filipinos and, like it or
not, it could likewise pose more traffic woes to our
already congested metropolis. With its almost
drop-in-the-bucket price, the Tata Nano could also
threaten the motorcycle business once it hits town.
But even
before the Tata Nano could set foot on local soil,
another Nano has arrived in a household very close to my
heart a while back.
Mayo,
the first profit of the unappreciated prophet in the
family (he is a dear buddy of my editor here, Popong
Andolong), came to be known as Nano because Mayo himself
calls himself Nano.
The name
Nano came by accident.
When
Mayo was about three years old, I asked Mayo: “What is
your name?”
“Nano,”
came the reply.
Spell
it.
“M-A-Y-O, Nano!”
So,
there.
I look
forward to the day Tata Nano lands on our shores.
Aside
from it being the reincarnation of my Tata Mariano, this
Tata Nano car might yet be the apple of Nano’s eye in no
time.
Nano
will turn 11 shortly.
Pee stop
Congratulations to Ms. Nilda Ramos for being the lucky
winner in Volvo’s Peace of Mind Promo. Ramos’s coupon
was drawn on March 8 at the Volvo Makati show room.
Ramos won a weeklong adventure trip to the famous Ice
Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. The winner will bask in
the glorious Northern lights, get on a snow safari in
the wilderness, cook outside a Mourika over an open fire
and test-drive the stellar road-holding qualities of a
Volvo on ice.
“It will
be pure ice-cold bliss to warm, work-weary bones,
especially since Volvo made sure that the trip is all
taken care of, including airfare, meals and
accommodation,” says Loi Concepcion of Volvo.
“Volvoyage!” |
