All Geared Up

From days of laal batti Ambassadors,cream-coloured Fiats and dull grey ‘Hamara Bajaj’ when vehicles were boring,bulky pieces of machinery strictly meant for covering distance A to distance B,cars and bikes have changed gears and metamorphisised into masterpieces of technology,art and engineering. Heck,you can experience five star luxury in your car now! “Mahindra runs a Great Escape. They had a grand lifestyle launch at DLF Emporio in Delhi for their Outlander. Mitsubishi prides in their off road Heart in Mouth. Mercedes has fashion weeks. BMW holds art shows,in fact,people in Europe park painted BMWs in their living rooms! Audi came out with limited editions,car steerings are now coming with diamonds on it! The selling point is a powerful machinery for a powerful person. At the end of the day,it amounts to a status symbol,a royal proof to your success,” according to Bhalinder,if you are driving into a five or seven star hotel,it better be in a world-class brand. “People love the demonstration effect….they get a kick out of the one-up,” he winks. No wonder ace designer Manish Malhotra bagged the golden opportunity to hold a fashion show for Skoda. “The Skoda Superb stands for opulence,style and elegance and so does this new exclusive bridal collection designed by Manish,” says Thomas Kuehl,Board Member,Sales and Marketing,SkodaAuto India. There are fanatics who would gaze at a Jaguar and remember the curve of a Modigliani nude. There have been maniacal artists who scampered with a paintbrush around BMWs and turned precious cars into racing canvases. A very different kind of art-automobile relationship is happening where car showrooms are turning into glitzy,atypical spaces for exhibitions. Sample this: Ridhi Bhalla of Nitanjali art gallery’s opening show ‘Rising Stars’ at the BMW showroom at Connaught Place in Delhi,turned out to be a smashing social event drawing a gaggle of fashionistas and the denizens of the art world. Bhalla,who managed to sell 10 works on the opening night,says,“At shows like these,one taps into high net worth individuals.”

BMW,for its part has been associated with art for a decade. The trend is in keeping with BMW art car,wherein a prominent artist is given a car to paint. In 2007,two models were brought to the Jehangir art gallery,one of the models on display was painted by Andy Warhol. “It’s a part of initiating a dialogue with the customer and are is one platform. That way,one also strengthens the relationship with the customer,” says Abhay Dange,General manager,Press and Corporate Affairs,BMW. By hosting an art exhibition,auto companies get an opportunity to bring a “suitable” crowd and meet the wealthy art collectors. Galleries,meanwhile,are excited to share the prized guest list of the car companies.

While Bentley’s Managing Director Satya Prakash Bagla agrees that “association with the arts will only expand our client base here,” Aarti Singh of Polka Art Gallery is planning a show with Bentley early next year. Back home,Alliance Francaise in Sector 36 is playing host to Hyundai Face India’s Art to Heart exhibition. With art creations by South Korean artist Serah G,this one is out there for an emotional connect. “Art has a great influence on human souls,feelings,and moral values. We believe that a car is not just a medium of transport. It’s also an integral part of people’s lifestyle and has a strong emotional connect with its owner,” endorses HW Park,MD,Hyundai Motor India.

Recently,Royal Enfield made a classic comeback with Classic 500 and Classic 300. While these guys have exclusive Enfield club memberships,Bigadda went a step ahead and kicked off the Yamaha India Bike Rally which covered over 4,500 kms across 7 states and 40 cities in 21 days making it one of the first reality shows on a social networking site,offering bike enthusiasts an opportunity to discover the real India on Yamaha bikes. Says Nitin Juneja,Head – Corporate Planning & Corporate Spokesperson,India Yamaha Motor,“Yamaha has been constantly shifting gears to transform the market from utility to pleasure and lifestyle. Today,Yamaha offers innovative designs,sporty looks and premium features across models as part of its strategy to give consumers a new thrill in biking. With Yamaha India Bike Rally,we are creating one more benchmark in providing the true motorcycling experience to Indian consumers.”

Not long back,Nat Geo and Apollo Tyres flagged off ‘Apollo Flight of the Hawkz’,a brand new adventure driving series which invited driving enthusiasts a chance to embark on an escapade across India — a unique and thrilling SUV off roading experience. “Apollo Flight of the Hawkz promises to take adventure television to the next level with a heady mix of SUVs,stunts,mind-games and dares. Besides being the most daring driving show that has been attempted in India,it also gives a complete outdoor experience,” says Rajesh Sheshadri,Senior Vice President – Content and Communication,National Geographic Channel,India. Recently,Fiat ran its pan India Fiat Diesel Drives India,and this time,they gave the car to auto specialists to run,check and create awareness. Just another way to connect.

In the uber cool segment,the Mercedes Trophy returned with a bigger swing this year – with the introduction of first ever ten leg club level qualifier named as: Mercedes-Benz Invitational Golf Tournament. For Dr. Wilfried Aulbur,CEO and Managing Director,Mercedes Benz India Private Limited,“The MercedesTrophy reflects the brilliant connect of sports and lifestyle and espouses the premier status of the Three Pointed Star. The association of sporting prowess and lifestyle finesse has been a hallmark of the Mercedes Trophy and it is regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the Golfing calendar.” Close on their heels is Volkswagen which is all set to bring the globally acclaimed Volkswagen Polo Cup motor sports event to India in 2010. The racing series will be based on the highly successful Volkswagen Polo Cup touring cars series for young talented drivers being held in Germany and other parts of the world. Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann,Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG feels,“the Polo Cup India will underline the strengths of the Polo product,which will be manufactured in Pune,to racing fans and others.” According to Joerg Mueller,Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India,this will help them strengthen their association with India by not just manufacturing technologically advanced products but also by taking initiatives to create a favourable environment for the development of a uniquely Indian motor sports culture. Come 2010,and all eyes are on two of world’s biggest names: Vijay Mallya and Richard Branson. While Branson’s gone ahead and announced his Virgin Racing Team,racing fanatic Mallya is looking for a Indian Louis Hamilton. “Motor racing is my passion,it is in my blood and it meets the aspirations of the next generation of Indians,” he’s all set to build a big fan following for the sport through merchandising and other activities with his India Force Formula One team. The tracks are going to be on fire.

(with inputs from Richa Bhatia)