Shahwar says that you should be willing to pay a premium for revived models of icons from years past.

Shahwar says that you should be willing to pay a premium for revived models of icons from years past. In fact, he longs for more of our automotive heritage to be reborn.

Brand recall plays a crucial part in the success of an auto manufacturer. Modern iterations of iconic models from the past are likely to do well again. And while that’s not a watertight formula, it does holds true to a large extent. Moreover, while the sale of these models may not translate into huge revenues, they surely do add to the image of the manufacturer.

Some people want to own a piece of history, while others want to own such-and-such car or bike because they’ve seen their father drive around in one – or maybe they’ve always longed to own that particular model, but couldn’t afford to do so till they reached a certain stage in life. These cars and bikes invariably come at a premium, and why not? If you want to own a piece of history, you might as well be prepared to pay for it.

It’s the nostalgic value of these cars and bikes that the manufacturers want to cash in on. Brand recall is country specific. A Jaguar E-Type would cut no ice with the masses in India, because it was never launched here – but it was a huge success in England, and in many other parts of the world.

Motorcycle brands like Triumph, BSA, Norton, Indian, and Harley-Davidson (HD) had a rather strong presence in India before, and after, World War II. HD has already made a successful re-entry into the Indian market and, now, Triumph has also jumped onto the bandwagon. The introduction of the legendry Bonneville was eagerly awaited. The Bonnie has strong brand recall in India, as a lot of them landed here in the late 1960’s and the mid-1970’s. Triumph has also done a smart thing in keeping the price tag very competitive. The Bonnie competes with the entry-level Harley, and it’ll be a tough fight because the brand recall of both marques is quite strong. Harleys are looked at as being lifestyle bikes – more for posing perhaps, rather than serious riding. The Bonnie is a bike with which you can tour long distances, as well as use on a day-to-day basis. If the feedback from the prospective buyers is anything to go by, Triumph is sure to have a long waiting list for the Bonnie.

The Indian Chief is on the scene as well, and we just might see an Indian and Harley rivalry take shape in India – very far from their land of origin.

VW came in with the Beetle. No other car in history is, perhaps, as loved as the Bug and India had a whole lot of them. But the new Beetle comes at a price that not many can afford. Good thing that VW was never under the misconception that it would flush the Indian market with Bugs. The Mini is here, and so too was the Fiat 500. We do get to see a lot of Mini’s zipping around on our city streets, with the drivers emulating the antics of Jason Bourne!

Rolls-Royce has brought in the Phantom, but the target clients are different now. Pre and immediately post-Independence, India was one of the biggest markets for RR – with most of the royals having a Rolls or two in their fleet, if not more. It was a status symbol. The royals may have gone, but the market still remains – although it has shrunk a bit. The aura surrounding RR is still well intact however.

I hope more car and bike manufacturers bring in some more of their iconic models. I would love to see a new BSA Golden Flash, or maybe the Citron 2CV. And, yes, in these days of chaotic traffic and rising oil prices, the bubble cars would make perfect sense. Heritage and practicality – they have both. Maybe someday soon…