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Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car, goes on sale from Thursday, with the company standing behind it and dealers confident of strong demand.
Booking are open for placing orders for buying Nano, the sporty, jellybean-shaped car at Tata Motors dealerships and retail outlets owned by the parent company Tata Group across the country.
According to the Tata Motors spokesman, nearly 51,000 booking forms have been sold by the dealers since last weekend at 300 rupees (six dollars) each. He also added, "We are ready to kick-start operations." Prospective buyers will also be able to book a car online for 200 rupees an application in the first such facility in India.
The Nano, which costs just 1 lakh rupees ($2,000) for the basic model, was unveiled to great fanfare last month and the Chairman of Tata Motors Ratan Tata said it would revolutionise travel for millions of Indians.
Dennis Rankine, sales manager at Wasan Motors, one of the top dealers for Tata Motors said,"we expect strong demand at most of our outlets". The cheapest showroom price for the Nano is 112,735 rupees but it is available for 100,000 rupees direct from the factory, excluding taxes.
Potential owners of the car -- which is just over three meters (10 feet) long and has a top speed of 105 kilometers (65 miles) per hour -- can apply for the car until April 25. A significant number of Nanos were showcased in showrooms around India on April 1, drawing huge crowds eager to catch the glimpse of the much hyped "People's Car".
To cope with the wide interest and supply shortages, the first 100,000 Nano owners are being selected by lottery, with the first car expected to be on the road in early July.
Due to limited production from the existing plants, Tata Motors said a large number of customers may not get their shiny new Nanos until 2010
The firm could sell just up to 50,000 Nano cars in the first year, which are to be rolled out of an existing plant while a new factory is built in western Gujarat state. Tata Motors was forced to shift production from a nearly complete factory in eastern India to Gujarat state due to a violent land ownership dispute last year involving farmers in West Bengal. Hindustan Times
April 9, 2009
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