March 7: Mahindra: What money can buy

What can money buy? Obviously lots of things. The Italian design house, Pininfarina is usually associated with Ferrari and other expensive and beautiful automotive creations, but it doesn't always design wretchedly expensive ways to get people's attention. Over the years, Pininfarina has put their talented designers to work on cars covering all the price spectrums. And maybe that, is the reason behind the huge powerhouse, Indian company Mahindra buying them recently.

Mahindra? If you know them at all, it is thru their tractors, which are a relatively common sight around the farms of Canada and the US.

But if you dig a little deeper and you won't need this tractor, you'll find that Mahindra builds a cornucopia of vehicles, from the biggest to the smallest. Along with the tractors, one also finds some pretty heavy over the road tractors (big trucks, if you haven't already figured it out)......

Or what about something in a fashionable kahaki shade? 

No surprise that, they would find the acquisition of the fabled design house to be a wise move. Maybe those vehicles can be gorgeous as well as everything else? Probably not. 

But besides the trucky end of things, this Indian company builds and sells a wide variety of interesting, and some not so interesting, cars and suvs. 

Thinking of something electrifying? How about this cute little (really little) e20?

Or maybe the new gas motored KUV100.........

Or the XUV500 suv, with a bit of the Murano vibe happening around that back side window.......

The hits just keep on coming. Of course, it seems that all of these third world countries require a heavier, less attractive suv to conquer those cow paths, or should I say elephant paths, since we are talking India......

Note the creative description used to point out the best selling points of their Scorpio........"fiery eyes, fangs of.........." etc. Maybe if I lived in India, these descriptives would make me think twice about getting another manufacturer's vehicle.

And what could Pininfarina do to make this happy family, happier about their new Supro? Seems that they like it just the way it is, yet another example of what Mahindra is supplying in their home market.

Wha company wouldn't like to have a Jeep Wrangler in their stable? Well, in Mahindra's case, they do have one, but it is the Thar and it is not a Wrangler........

Try to spot the differences. I'm still trying and after quite a while, I can't find any. Maybe Pininfarina could add a few details to differentiate this vehicle from its American look alike.

So there you have it. The Indian automotive powerhouse Mahindra has bought Pininfarina. I'm guessing not so much for their design excellence, but for the profits it can generate. Of course, if it helps sell a few more Mahindra vehicles all the better.

Until next time.......