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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Cool Britannia lives in India

The Financial Times has a nice article about Royal Enfield and other old British brands that are still alive in India. It talks about the Ambassador cars, Crompton Greaves, Spencer's and Woodward's Gripe water. The article starts "On National Highway 65, outside the Rajasthani city of Jodhpur, is a temple to a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Its rider met an unfortunate end in a collision with a tree two decades ago, but his revered motorcycle, which is believed to have paranormal powers, lives on." and ends with "In the boardroom of Eicher Motors and at the roadside shrine in Rajasthan, executives and pilgrims share faith in the immortal appeal of the Bullet. This death-defying union of British engineering and Indian devotion, they believe, opens hearts and markets."

On the other hand, the online Canadian motorcycle magazine CMG comments on the price of the Norton and Royal Enfield bikes recently introduced in the Toronto show, "We do have a price on the SE high-end Norton, which will retail for a rock-bottom $34,899. That firesale price will include a limited edition Norton watch by Bremonte, an Arai Norton helmet, and a Norton leather jacket. Or you could forgo the Norton, wear your own jean-jacket and HJC helmet, carry a Timex, and stash a whole fleet of Royal Enfields in your stable."

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