Cool Jeeps You Can't Have - Mahindra of India
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
jscherb
Expedition Leader
A top of the line 2014-2020 CRDe model Thar as in the ads above last sold for 9.64 lakh rupees (1 lakh = 100,000, so 9.64 lakh is Rs 964,000). At the current exchange rate, that's $13,206.73.
The 2021 Thar, which is a completely new model somewhat resembling the JK 2dr, starts at Rs 12.1 lakh, or about $16,500.
For comparison, when the JL was introduced in India in 2019, I snapped a photo of this billboard at the airport in New Delhi:
The starting price is at the lower left of the sign - Rs 63.94 lakh. At the exchange rate in 2019, that was $89,368.94.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Since we're speaking of pricing - have I got a deal for you 
...
I've annotated some of the Hindi, here's a rough translation:
1. "Every challenge will feel easy" - apparently touting the Thar's off-road capability.
2. "Vehicle and Vehicle offer" - Two vehicles in one offer?
3. Yup - in red it says "Motorcycle Free", if you buy a Thar DI.
And the asterisk needs no translation, terms and conditions apply, of course. I found this ad online and it was scanned at too low a resolution for the "fine print" to be readable. Oh well, it looks like it was an ad from 2018 anyway.
...
I've annotated some of the Hindi, here's a rough translation:
1. "Every challenge will feel easy" - apparently touting the Thar's off-road capability.
2. "Vehicle and Vehicle offer" - Two vehicles in one offer?
3. Yup - in red it says "Motorcycle Free", if you buy a Thar DI.
And the asterisk needs no translation, terms and conditions apply, of course
. I found this ad online and it was scanned at too low a resolution for the "fine print" to be readable. Oh well, it looks like it was an ad from 2018 anyway.
billiebob
Well-known member
yep, my opinion of every sidexside and atv, completely impractical and tighter restrictions, more areas banning them every year
even MOAB has a moritorium on new events this year. the idiots are the big problem but MOAB is dealing with a massive backlash from residentsovernoise
jscherb
Expedition Leader
A Thar feature that some might want in their TJ/YJ/CJ? Up until the new 2020 model, Thars came with troop-style seating in the back:
There are no rear bars for the roll bar in the one above; I suspect the owner unbolted them.
Here's a Thar I spotted in the Panna National Park Tiger Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The troop seating has been replaced with a raised transverse seat for tiger safaris, which could be a cool seating option for passengers in trail Jeeps over here?
If you want something other than troop seats in a pre-2020 Thar, you had to turn to the aftermarket. These are a few from Bimbra 4x4 (www.bimbra.in).
Notice the armests/padded tops for the inner fenders:
Even bigger armrests:
Not sure what this is intended to be, it's too small to be a bed:
BTW Jeep offered troop-style seating in the 80's in both the CJ-8 and CJ-7 - but only for export. Troop seats in a CJ-8:
The export Jeeps with troop seats also had the factory "World Cab" hardtop, which provided extra headroom for people sitting on the troop seats in the back.
Speaking of tops, this first Thar in this post has an aftermarket half-cab soft top. The aftermarket in India is very fragmented and isn't as strong as the Jeep aftermarket in the U.S., but one area that's much more interesting in India is the number of aftermarket hardtops that are available - there are quite a few, most with unique designs (unlike in the U.S. where most of the aftermarket tops resemble the factory Jeep tops fairly closely). I've got photos of many of the ones available in India, I'll cover them thoroughly later in the thread.
There are no rear bars for the roll bar in the one above; I suspect the owner unbolted them.
Here's a Thar I spotted in the Panna National Park Tiger Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The troop seating has been replaced with a raised transverse seat for tiger safaris, which could be a cool seating option for passengers in trail Jeeps over here?
If you want something other than troop seats in a pre-2020 Thar, you had to turn to the aftermarket. These are a few from Bimbra 4x4 (www.bimbra.in).
Notice the armests/padded tops for the inner fenders:
Even bigger armrests:
Not sure what this is intended to be, it's too small to be a bed:
BTW Jeep offered troop-style seating in the 80's in both the CJ-8 and CJ-7 - but only for export. Troop seats in a CJ-8:
The export Jeeps with troop seats also had the factory "World Cab" hardtop, which provided extra headroom for people sitting on the troop seats in the back.
Speaking of tops, this first Thar in this post has an aftermarket half-cab soft top. The aftermarket in India is very fragmented and isn't as strong as the Jeep aftermarket in the U.S., but one area that's much more interesting in India is the number of aftermarket hardtops that are available - there are quite a few, most with unique designs (unlike in the U.S. where most of the aftermarket tops resemble the factory Jeep tops fairly closely). I've got photos of many of the ones available in India, I'll cover them thoroughly later in the thread.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I'll bet some people who bought Roxors thought they could swap the Roxor grille for one from a U.S. CJ-5 or CJ-7. If they tried, they'd be disappointed - the Roxor, Thar and earlier model Mahindra grilles are not CJ grilles, they're unique Mahindra creations. For one, the headlights and the outer slots don't intersect like thy do on a U.S. CJ, and also the grille is wider than a U.S. CJ grille.
The grille being wider means the hood and fenders also won't swap between a Mahindra and a U.S. CJ., and even it you tried to swap the entire front clip you'd have trouble because the body steps out below the curve of the cowl (also pointed out in the photo above).
This next photo is of a Mahindra Maxx, which is roughly a wide version of a Commander with a taller roof (I posted a photo of a Commander a few days ago). I've highlighted the step-out at the cowl, it's bigger than the step-out on the Thar and Commander.
I've got lots of Commander/Maxx photos I'll get to later in the thread.
I'm sure this is a result of Mahindra doing their own design and engineering to update the look of their CJ3b-based jeeps to resemble the U.S. CJ's. They didn't have any reason to make their parts the same size and shape as the U.S. parts and likely had a good reason not to, so they didn't.
Another detail on the Maxx is a plastic overlay on the grille. You can see that there's a "CJ-style" grille behind the plastic overlay. These overlays were an attempt to update the styling to a more modern look.
"CJ-style" Mahindra grilles like the one on the red Thar in the photo above can be had in India, I know a guy who has a stockpile of them (more on him later). I'm sure Roxor owners over here would love to have them to swap for their Roxor grilles.
The grille being wider means the hood and fenders also won't swap between a Mahindra and a U.S. CJ., and even it you tried to swap the entire front clip you'd have trouble because the body steps out below the curve of the cowl (also pointed out in the photo above).
This next photo is of a Mahindra Maxx, which is roughly a wide version of a Commander with a taller roof (I posted a photo of a Commander a few days ago). I've highlighted the step-out at the cowl, it's bigger than the step-out on the Thar and Commander.
I've got lots of Commander/Maxx photos I'll get to later in the thread.
I'm sure this is a result of Mahindra doing their own design and engineering to update the look of their CJ3b-based jeeps to resemble the U.S. CJ's. They didn't have any reason to make their parts the same size and shape as the U.S. parts and likely had a good reason not to, so they didn't.
Another detail on the Maxx is a plastic overlay on the grille. You can see that there's a "CJ-style" grille behind the plastic overlay. These overlays were an attempt to update the styling to a more modern look.
"CJ-style" Mahindra grilles like the one on the red Thar in the photo above can be had in India, I know a guy who has a stockpile of them (more on him later). I'm sure Roxor owners over here would love to have them to swap for their Roxor grilles.
Chorky
Observer
that's an interesting design feature.. with the width difference between the hood and cowl. Even though the company was developing their own stuff they had to have known the similarities - possibly this was one attempt to assure there was not a direct copy?
I'm curious more of the engines as well... Not sure if you plan to cover that aspect here.
I'm curious more of the engines as well... Not sure if you plan to cover that aspect here.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I think I have some engine compartment photos, I'll check. They're all 4 cylinder, the early ones were gasoline and carbureted, later diesels became an option and some Savaris had turbo diesels (I'll cover the Savari in a lot of detail later, it's my favorite Mahindra jeep). Fuel economy is excellent, the later model 2.5 liter engines deliver about 40 mpg.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
This one is a capital "J" Jeep, manufactured in Toledo, but assembled by Mahindra in India. From 1949 through the 60's, Mahindra assembled CKD Jeeps shipped from Toledo and this CJ3b would be one of them. Gradually Indian-made parts content reached 70% by the early 60's and today Mahindras do not include any U.S.-made parts. I photographed this one in Udaipur in southern Rajasthan, a city perhaps best known in the U.S. for the Lake Palace featured in the James Bond film Octopussy.
Also in Udaipur, the Maharaja of Mewar has an antique auto collection. It's open to the public and includes these two Jeeps. I don't know if these are Mahindra or Toledo assembled although I'm pretty sure at least one of the trailers is Mahindra-built (the one with the angular fenders - those weren't built until later, the round-fendered one could be a U.s.-built ex-military M100 or it could be Mahindra-built.)
Both of these have 9-slot grilles so they may be Toledo-built MBs, Ford-built GPWs or possibly early CKD Mahindras. I didn't spend enough time studying them to discover those details. The presence of the later M416-style trailer makes me wonder if one or both of these are CKD Mahindras.
Also included in the Maharaja's collection is a Rolls Royce that appears in Octopussy and a number of other rare vehicles.
The basic flatfender design was produced well into the 90's in Mahindra variants known as the CJ4 and the Major, I'll cover those as we continue through the thread.
BTW: The Lake Palace at Udaipur, photo taken from the balcony of our room in a lakeside hotel we were staying in. You may recognize this from Octpussy...
Also in Udaipur, the Maharaja of Mewar has an antique auto collection. It's open to the public and includes these two Jeeps. I don't know if these are Mahindra or Toledo assembled although I'm pretty sure at least one of the trailers is Mahindra-built (the one with the angular fenders - those weren't built until later, the round-fendered one could be a U.s.-built ex-military M100 or it could be Mahindra-built.)
Both of these have 9-slot grilles so they may be Toledo-built MBs, Ford-built GPWs or possibly early CKD Mahindras. I didn't spend enough time studying them to discover those details. The presence of the later M416-style trailer makes me wonder if one or both of these are CKD Mahindras.
Also included in the Maharaja's collection is a Rolls Royce that appears in Octopussy and a number of other rare vehicles.
The basic flatfender design was produced well into the 90's in Mahindra variants known as the CJ4 and the Major, I'll cover those as we continue through the thread.
BTW: The Lake Palace at Udaipur, photo taken from the balcony of our room in a lakeside hotel we were staying in. You may recognize this from Octpussy...
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Mahindras are widely used by the military, police and government in India and other countries. This Thar is in airport security service in Amritsar in the state of Punjab. Amritsar isn't far from the border with Pakistan so maybe that's why they need a vehicle like this at the airport; tensions always seem to exist between the two former parts of the British Indian Empire.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
An early 4-door closed cab model.
I don't think too many of these were produced, if any - I've only seen this one photo and I've never seen one in person. Based on the color and some of the details, this may have been a prototype for the military. It's got rear corner lift handles like the early military models, and lift handles on the sides too.
I don't think too many of these were produced, if any - I've only seen this one photo and I've never seen one in person. Based on the color and some of the details, this may have been a prototype for the military. It's got rear corner lift handles like the early military models, and lift handles on the sides too.
pith helmet
Well-known member
I’d love an aftermarket top like that for the JKU. (I mean a better one than the Smittybilt one.)I guess I shouldn't leave the JKU out...
