Mahindra & Mahindra has formally pulled the plug on the already-decade-old Mahindra Thar Classic, signalling the end of the road for one of India’s bestselling off-roaders and one of the country’s most iconic and culturally impactful utilitarian vehicles.
The decision ends a chapter of the nation’s automotive history, and is emblematic of broader changes in consumer tastes and regulatory environments that have reshaped the market for S.U.V.s.
The Legacy Comes to a Close
The no-frills, rugged Thar Classic — descendant of India’s first off-road vehicle, which went into production in the 1950s — will make its last run off assembly lines next month.
The company has announced that production will end after final orders from dealers are fulfilled and there will be no revival of the model in its present form.
“We had said that the Classic will be retired one day and we could not have picked a more appropriate occasion, than the 70th anniversary of Mahindra to do so,” said Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra addressing the press during the announcement.
“This product has played a significant role in solidifying our foothold in the market and aided in being recognised as as the true Indian SUV manufacturer… ..
The axe has fallen on the Legacy without a word spoken, about two years after the new-gen Thar was introduced, and has brought the nameplate up to date without losing its off-roading nature.
The Classic Descent, however, remained in limited production, and provided to those traditionalists who had always felt drawn to its mechanical purity and no-nonsense funk) what had increasingly become the newer model’s more lifestyle profile – had in the Classic become a more tech-y tack-y super store slick tackin’ glamour puss.
Pressures of the Market and Controls on the Market
Some of the causes of its demise included : Had we gone on the stringent BS6 Phase II emission norms, we would have to invest in a big way on developing the powertrain on a low-volume model and outdated architecture.
Further still, with increasingly about to become a standard including six airbags, and new structural regulations, there was simply too much to re-engineer for the four decades old platform.
“It’s an entirely different regulatory environment,” says Vikram Singh, an automotive analyst. “Contemporary safety and emissions requirements effectively require ground-up vehicle development that’s just not economically feasible with existing platforms, no matter how great they may be for a singular market/regulation circumstance.”
There have also been huge changes in market dynamics. The Thar had the monopoly of its segment simply because there was no competition and while this may have worked for the Classic, this new breed of Thar has to now contend with the modern day purpose built recreational off-roaders and lifestyle SUVs made by both Indian and global car companies.
The furniture was cool, vintage French, but the aim here seems to rectify the fortifications to fit the modernist design ethos of the car.
“It is the numbers that are talking, the Classic’s monthly sales numbers had come down to 350-400 units in recent quarters and that against the new gen Thar’s 3000+ monthly volumes.
Collector Interest Surges
The press release that follows has elicited an immediate reaction from the enthusiast community, and customers who are collectors, or just fans of off-road r/c, are scrambling to get their share of the final product as quickly as possible.
Some dealers say they sold out within a few days of the auction announcement, and some buyers were willing to pay a 10-15% premium to buy one of the last examples.
“Customers are eagerly awaiting the market launch as this is their final opportunity to own a brand new, factory-fresh automotive icon,” observes Sanjay Sharma, a Mahindra dealer principal in Pune.
“These last few cars, they are classics of the future — they are the end of an era in Indian motoring, a chapter now closed,” many said.
It is a pattern we have seen quite a bit of from collectors anytime an iconic workhorse finally ceased production, like the original Land Rover Defender, or Mercedes-Benz G-Class for that matter, prior to its radical revamping.
The last of the production run really could become valuable in the future, with Classic car auctioneers believe cars in good condition may soar in value as it becomes rarer.
‘Transport’ and Much, Much More of a Cultural Icon
Beyond a mode of transport, the Thar Classic made inroads into Indian culture, appearing in numerous Bollywood movies, hijinks-fuel adventure escapades and even military service.
Its shape quickly became so familiar from the Himalayas to Hampstead, the desert to downtown Bombay. A symbol of ruggedness and macho freedom.
“Not many cars have made such a cultural impact,” says the automotive historian Priya Nair. “And whether used for military or farming use, adventure tourism, the Thar Classic was a jack of all trades, while staying true to its core DNA. Few products manage to hold their own in such an array of conditions for so many years.”
The vehicle’s appeal reached as far as India’s colourful modding scene, where myriad examples were modified for specific duties including competition off-road events and expedition rigs.
The aftermarket economy that developed around the platform enabled many small businesses to thrive by providing parts, accessories, or customization services.
Programs for the Conservation of Tradition
Mahindra is honouring the history of the model with a number of preservation efforts. It also intends to create a heritage collection that will comprise important variations and milestone examples from its history.
And owners of discontinued models everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a specialized parts program that will keep their vehicles running in the future.
“We are committed towards supporting the large base of existing Thar Classics that will continue to ply on and off the Indian roads,” Jejurikar said. “Even if production is ending, our responsibility to this owner community is not.”
The company has also indicated limited-edition heritage-inspired versions of the new-gen Thar in the future years to come, so cues from the Classic’s design language and character could return in contemporary avatars.
This Mahindra SUV Discountinued in market
Even though the end is the Fibhorn XUV500 is the end of a major era, Mahindra’s wider SUV plans remain on solid footing with hot products like the Scorpio-N, the XUV700, and the upcoming 5-door Thar on the horizon.
The lineage of these vehicles still has this brand’s trademark capability, and this works alongside modern technology, refinement and safety features.
For those nostalgic Classic fans and the old school guys, fear not, the bustling used market and stellar owner community would ensure that the model’s existence on Indian roads doesn’t die down soon.
In the meantime, India’s burgeoning vintage car movement has already started welcoming older iterations of the car, meaning that its cultural legacy will live on well past the final car rolling off the factory line.