Moving The Nation On Wheels; Classic Maruti Enthusiasts Rally 2025

Maruti, a word that is very evidently synonymous with ‘car’, for pretty much anyone born in this country within the last 50 years. For countless Indians, these cars have been the gateway to four-wheeled mobility right from the 800, Zen and Alto or even the Esteem, which was their first true ‘luxury sedan’ experience. 

The first and last iterations of the iconic 800, a journey of more than three decades

It is not at all a surprise then, that a good chunk of us mad, crazy ‘petrolheads’ are completely gaga over some of them. They may be common, but with smooth, rev-happy and abuse-friendly engines, slick gearboxes and polished driving dynamics, they aren’t any less fun out on the open roads. So to keep this hobby and a sense of community alive, fans and owners of the OGs in Mumbai gather one Sunday morning every December to drive together and just talk cars. This year, I bring to you one such meet, through my lens:

The Cars

When it comes to ‘Classic’ Marutis, I’ve been told it is the older ones which are revered the most. Right from the first 800s (fondly known as the SS80) of the 80s, the naughty Zens, regal 1000s, and Esteems, to even the macho man’s Gypsy all are treasured.

And this is something that is very apparent when you look at how passionately the examples here have been kept and driven.

Mind you, this is no Concours D’Elegance. These are cars driven, used and enjoyed all the time, which just makes them even more special in my eyes. After all, aren’t cars meant to be driven?

The Zen Carbon and Steel have two fewer doors!

This ain’t no boring stock car meetup either, with plenty of mad builds also marking their attendance. Fancy seeing a K10 engine-swapped 800? You got it here. Or perhaps an unassuming Esteem with a crazy audio setup and bass that shakes up all the cars in the parking lot. You get to see a unique variety here.

The Drive

For this year’s edition of the Classic Maruti Enthusiasts Rally, participants assembled at an unassuming parking space in Bandra-Kurla Complex, except, instead of the boring grey, white and silver mundane crossovers usually seen here on weekdays, you had nostalgia and these iconic machines right here. It is true when they say, a great car truly livens up your day, even if all you do is look at one. 

Post some intriguing discussions and fiddling around with each other’s cars, the party lined up to roll out in an eventful fashion, a true sight to behold for anyone. First the grandaddy 800, then the Zen, Esteems and Gypsys to boot. The convoy proceeded to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, presenting a sharp, yet pleasant contrast of the iconic Mumbai skyline with these cute little cars. I’m not lying when I say the regular crop of supercars passing by slowed down for a click of these humble, old cars. Celebrities much?

Perhaps nobody has influenced the Indian car scene as much as Maruti has

Rolling into SoBo with these cars brought back a sense of occasion to the roads, just imagining how the scene could have looked a multitude of decades ago. Driving past the Victorian-era buildings, we made our way to the Kala Ghoda statue, a symbol of the decades gone by, and I could not help but notice how, in our day-to-day lives of hectic reviews, news, and launch events, we sometimes forget what cars started it all.

Thankfully, I do have my friends in this community to remind me every year, and transport us back in time, if only for a couple of hours.

The Companion

A ‘very nice’ drive on the expressway, and a Maruti event meant I just had to grab the keys of our long-term Victoris. To be honest, I was always intrigued to understand how it slots into Maruti’s lineup today, especially with the Grand Vitara also operating in the same segment, and I finally have my answer. 

On paper, while both cars may look very similar, the Victoris is clearly the one oriented towards touring, what with the large boot, a massive sunroof and a lot of niceties as well. Furthermore, it just proves how well Maruti knows its Indian buyers, with something as small as the smooth auto start-stop system or the calibration of the Level 2 ADAS hitting the sweet spot. Beyond that, the suspension also inspires a sense of robustness generally not expected from a crossover of this segment. This level of sophistication truly is a symbol of the brand’s rich history in quite literally forming the automotive landscape of India with millions of cars on the roads. 

Yes, it has its shortcomings, like the weird-looking rear profile, which feels like it belongs to a completely different car altogether, or the fact that the rear seat could have been more spacious, but overall if you munch a lot of miles on our (in)famous highways, it makes for a damn good deal.

Which classic Maruti do you miss the most? Comment down below!