 | |
| Industry | automotive,marine,aviation,ATV |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003[1] |
| Defunct | 2016[1] |
| Headquarters | Alibag, Maharashtra , |
Chinkara Motors, officially Chinkara Motors PVT Ltd, was aMumbai, Maharashtra-based automotive manufacturer. Chinkara operated from 2003 to 2016. The company was headquartered inAlibag, Maharashtra.
They had a host of prominent customers, includingGautam Singhania. Chinkara created a unique fleet of sportscars called Parx Roadsters for Singhania.[2]
Shama Bothe and her German husband Guido Bothe founded Chinkara Motors in order to build sport cars. The company faced some initial funding problems. It took more than two years to manufacture and present its first car.
In 2003, at Mumbai Auto Show, company's first car was launched. The car is priced at Rs 6.7 lakh. They also presented the Chinkara roadster.[3]
In 2004, at an Auto Show, Chinkara Jeepster was launched. The car was priced at Rs 3.98 lakh and had a fibre glass body.[4]
In 2005, at Vaahan Yatra, India's first ever indigenousATV, Roadster, was launched. Another sports car, Speedster, was also presented.[5]
In 2011, Chinkara Roadster costed around Rs 26 lakh and a had minimum waiting period of five and a half months. The company manages to sell 2-3 units a year.[6][7]
In May 2018, the State Consumer Commission ordered Chinkara to pay Rs 3.5 lakh to a former Army Captain for supplying him a defective speed boat.[8]
Chingara primarily manufactured a 2-seatsports car called the Chinkara Roadster 1.8S, and theJeepster, a classic 1940s Jeep look-alike. The vehicles were developed atAlibag near Mumbai, India. The name Chinkara comes from a local word for anIndian Gazelle.
The Chinkara Roadster is derived from theLotus 7. The car is put together out of parts from various Indian cars, including theMaruti 800 and the now defunctStandard Herald. While this allows the car to be reasonably advanced, it allows the use ofintermediate technology to compete with a western equivalent that may be more an advanced. For example, news articles on the car say it usesMacPherson struts front and rear taken from aMaruti Alto. The Roadster is available in several levels of tuning.[9]
The Jeepster is anoff-road vehicle similar to the classicWillys Jeep.[10] With its body constructed of lightweightFRP, the Jeepster can be delivered with a diesel engine or a 1.8L Isuzu petrol.
Chinkara Motors also produced the following automotive products:
The Marine division specialized in the manufacture ofFiber-Reinforced Plastic multi-hull (Catamarans &Trimarans) watercraft.[12] They produced both powered andsailboat catamarans and powered trimarans[13] Chinkara also builds theWave Striker power catamaran and Predator powered trimaranwork boats.[14]
The Aviation division produced GFPgliders andpowered gliders,Gyrocopters andMicrolights.[15]
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