Shelby American Signs Licensing Agreement with India's Tata Motors
MUMBAI (AFP) – Following last week’s launch of the world’s cheapest car, the Nano, India's Tata Motors has announced the high-performance Tata Shelby Nano at the South Mumbai Automobile Manufacturer’s show today.
Company boss Ratan Tata said the Tata Shelby Nano, slated to cost just 400,000 rupees (8,000 dollars) for the 427 S/C (small/compact) model – so called for it’s 427 cubic centimeter displacement and it’s diminutive stature - will get India's upper-class urban population off high-performance motorcycles and into relatively safer, high-performance cars.
"I’ve been a fan of Shelby since I was a suckling. Producing the Tata Nano was exciting, but having the all-so-exclusive CSX serial number on the Tata Shelby Nano means these will be real Shelby’s, and with the lightweight paper mache body they will go very fast!* Look out Ford!" he said, describing the launch as a "wet dream."
The wraps were taken off three Tata Shelby Nanos– the “slabside”, the 289 FIA* and the 427 S/C-- at a glitzy, open-air ceremony at a south Mumbai sports ground. The slabside version was indistinguishable from the Tata Nano, aside from a racing decals and a wire wheels.* The 289 FIA* version sported flared fenders and increased displacement with a high-performance (hi-po) 289 cubic centimeter displacement engine.* The 427 S/C version also had flared fenders, but with a high-performance 427 cubic centimeter displacement engine and chrome smoke stacks.
Tata confirmed that the 427 S/C model would be 400,000 rupees direct from the factory, not including tax and transportation. The cheapest showroom price is 412,735 rupees.
Potential owners of the cars -- which is just over three metres (10 feet) long and has a top speed *of 105 kilometres (70 miles) per hour for the 427 S/C -- can apply between April 9 and 25, Tata managing director Ravi Kant said.* “Just send your $1000 deposit through Paypal.”
As the Tata Shelby Nano will be a limited production vehicle, a ballot will then select 100,000,000 people to be the first to get the keys to the vehicle and deliveries will start in early July 2009, he added.
Even affluent Icelanders are eyeing up the Tata Shelby Nano, which has a two-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmissionbut no air conditioning, electric windows or power steering just like original Shelbys.
Shares in Tata Motorson India's 30-share Sensex index jumped eighty percent in early trade but finally closed 20.8 percent up on profit-taking.
