Ever wonder what became of DC Design's Rs 1-crore Tata Nano variant that was the focus of the media blitz at the 2010 Auto Expo? It was simply a case of marketing strategy going off track.

Envisioned as a brand-building exercise for the domestic auto design house, the celebrated compact car did finally see the light of day and was sold for “much more than a crore”. However, you may not see it zip by just tomorrow since it was shipped to a buyer in England last year.

“It was bought by an Indian company based in England. I believe they supply components for the Nano as well. They don't use it on their streets as it's not legal, but I think it's displayed at their office,” DC Design promoter Mr Dilip Chhabria told Business Line .

“I cannot mention the final price, but it was much more than a crore since it was a one-off piece,” he added.

Initially, there was much hype around the ‘people's car', largely because of a price hundred times over the original cost of about Rs 1.4 lakh. But the leading auto design house chose to play down the final delivery in order to disassociate itself with the negative publicity the Nano received in 2011.

“We decided not to expose it and nobody else has seen it. The Nano became a different story in 2011 after the fire incidents and falling sales,” Mr Chabbria said.

DC's Nano featured top-end technology such as a touch-screen infotainment system, a drive-by-wire system akin to airplanes and a power plant over two times larger than its original demure cousin - it is a 1,600 cc liquid-cooled engine derived from the Suzuki Hayabusa superbike.

“It was a test-bed for marketing for us and we put in a lot of technology. It did well for the DC brand mileage,” Mr Chabbria said. Interestingly, Tata Group firm, Goldplus Jewellery, also unveiled a one-off Rs 22-crore bejewelled version of the Nano in September, 2011. Though another branding effort, this car is not for sale.

>roudra.b@thehindu.co.in

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