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Aswin, from the Mahindra showroom, met me in Ooty at 9:10 and we shared the driving down to Coimbatore. My mother’s Hyundai i10 performed well – it’s not a bad little car.
After acres of paperwork and test driving a Manual model, I discovered that they had a black vehicle (albeit with a different seat configuration) in their car pound. I looked at it and decided to buy it anyway. Rather that than wait forever for an eight-seater.
Then we went to Stanley Boutique to order the leather seats.
A week later, the vehicle was delivered to Ooty.
Before going to the Mahindra showroom I took my sun glasses to be mended. The man wanted half an hour to put the lens back in and fit a new screw, so odd we went to the Mahindra Showroom in Etiennes Road.
As we arrived it was obvious that the vehicle wasn’t there. They had taken it to the river to wash it. I was really excited – my first Indian vehicle would be there at about noon.
So I collected my sunglasses, “no charge sir” and then drove straight to Etiennes Road where my vehicle was waiting. Aswin would have kept me there all day had I given him the chance, but I really didn’t need every page of the instruction book explained to me, and I already know how indicators work.
The car looked superb, and the leather seats were perfect. Eventually, I drove away.
What a lovely drive! It’s not a Range Rover, but it’s the nearest Indian vehicle to it. There’s plenty of power and it’s comfortable.
After filling up with Diesel and picking up a few bits at Modern Stores I drove home. I stopped off at my mother’s house and gave her the dog food and cheese that I had procured from Murli and she decided to come to my house for lunch.
In the evening I looked in the Owner’s Manual, but I couldn’t find a way of switching off the illuminated picture of a vehicle that shines brightly in the rear view mirror. It’s part of the parking sensor, but surely it should only be illuminated when reverse is selected?
Success! The Scorpio was parked outside in the sun and I thought that I’d have a go at removing the smallest body sticker. They look so tacky and cheap – not at all the thing for an English gentleman. The driver’s side now has no stickers, and the bonnet is free from Mahrindra’s graffiti. I have turned the vehicle around so that the other side is in the sun. There’s just the near side and rear door to do, then I’ll have a vehicle that looks understated – not flashy. All done and it looks a lot better!
Swamy cooked fried egg, baked beans, tea and toast for breakfast. It was delightful. Sasi is cleaning making the bed and doing the laundry.
On the Ooty-Mysore road I pulled in, right to the very edge of the road and stopped to let a vehicle through. It had ¾ of the road, but still managed to clip the back of my brand new car! I didn’t see any point in turning around and chasing him. How could I argue with him in Tamil, and what would be the point? I drove the rest of the way home wondering what the extent of the damage was, with a feeling of anger and inevitability.
Swamy was here when I got back and I showed him. Apparently I should have taken down the registration number and chased the lorry, but I didn’t.
Rajan will wash the vehicle tomorrow, but meanwhile I have scrubbed the bumper and the tail light that were hit, and the damage seems, in the dark, to be minor.
Fortunately, the damage is only on the plastic side bumper and is hardly visible.
After acres of paperwork and test driving a Manual model, I discovered that they had a black vehicle (albeit with a different seat configuration) in their car pound. I looked at it and decided to buy it anyway. Rather that than wait forever for an eight-seater.
Then we went to Stanley Boutique to order the leather seats.
A week later, the vehicle was delivered to Ooty.
Before going to the Mahindra showroom I took my sun glasses to be mended. The man wanted half an hour to put the lens back in and fit a new screw, so odd we went to the Mahindra Showroom in Etiennes Road.
As we arrived it was obvious that the vehicle wasn’t there. They had taken it to the river to wash it. I was really excited – my first Indian vehicle would be there at about noon.
So I collected my sunglasses, “no charge sir” and then drove straight to Etiennes Road where my vehicle was waiting. Aswin would have kept me there all day had I given him the chance, but I really didn’t need every page of the instruction book explained to me, and I already know how indicators work.
The car looked superb, and the leather seats were perfect. Eventually, I drove away.
What a lovely drive! It’s not a Range Rover, but it’s the nearest Indian vehicle to it. There’s plenty of power and it’s comfortable.
After filling up with Diesel and picking up a few bits at Modern Stores I drove home. I stopped off at my mother’s house and gave her the dog food and cheese that I had procured from Murli and she decided to come to my house for lunch.
In the evening I looked in the Owner’s Manual, but I couldn’t find a way of switching off the illuminated picture of a vehicle that shines brightly in the rear view mirror. It’s part of the parking sensor, but surely it should only be illuminated when reverse is selected?
Success! The Scorpio was parked outside in the sun and I thought that I’d have a go at removing the smallest body sticker. They look so tacky and cheap – not at all the thing for an English gentleman. The driver’s side now has no stickers, and the bonnet is free from Mahrindra’s graffiti. I have turned the vehicle around so that the other side is in the sun. There’s just the near side and rear door to do, then I’ll have a vehicle that looks understated – not flashy. All done and it looks a lot better!
Swamy cooked fried egg, baked beans, tea and toast for breakfast. It was delightful. Sasi is cleaning making the bed and doing the laundry.
On the Ooty-Mysore road I pulled in, right to the very edge of the road and stopped to let a vehicle through. It had ¾ of the road, but still managed to clip the back of my brand new car! I didn’t see any point in turning around and chasing him. How could I argue with him in Tamil, and what would be the point? I drove the rest of the way home wondering what the extent of the damage was, with a feeling of anger and inevitability.
Swamy was here when I got back and I showed him. Apparently I should have taken down the registration number and chased the lorry, but I didn’t.
Rajan will wash the vehicle tomorrow, but meanwhile I have scrubbed the bumper and the tail light that were hit, and the damage seems, in the dark, to be minor.
Fortunately, the damage is only on the plastic side bumper and is hardly visible.
