November 17: Mahindra & Mahindra?

Mahindra & Mahindra? Accountants or maybe one of those travelling bespoke suit companies? You know, the ones who offer three custom tailored suits for $999, but if you add a couple of sport coats, they will throw in a pair of socks as a bonus. Or, if you are a regular reader of this blog, for which I'm eternally grateful and congratulations to you for your perseverance, you will know this company as one of India's biggest conglomerates. They also own the South Korean brand Ssanysong, but manufacturer lots of vehicles under their own name in India.

Been shopping for a new tractors lately? If so, then you know that this company is already in Canada with a line of industrial equipment..........

But this farm and road stuff is only the tip of Mahindra and Mahindra's iceberg, although coming from India that may be a poor metaphor. They do a vast range of other vehicular stuff, starting with armouring for all sorts of third world rides.......

Heading to Zimbabwe shortly to cover the latest, who's really in power, story? Then check out the president's ride, more than likely M & M were the ones who armoured it up to protect this way too long ruling strongman. Need something a bit more in your face? This is not a Jeep, but M &M's version, the Rakshak....

Come on, would I kid you about the name of something this serious? The machine gun toting soldiers come with option package B. Of course, if you live in a typical small town in the United States, your local police would need something even more fearsome. Something to intimidate any up and coming mass executioner and possibly deter them from their mission in life. Something like this......

All these are from M & M's serious vehicle division, but everyday life needs everyday solutions........

......or this classic type 4x4, which every eastern car company seems to have somewhere in its product line......

......followed of course, by a newer design suv and some smaller wanna be's.........

All good and for the most part very contemporary. And this only covers a portion of M &M's line up in its home country. When you have over a billion citizens at home and many more in the surrounding areas, no wonder you'd be able to support quite a varied line up.

Wonder where the designs come from? I mean who is behind this styling? Look no further than that famous Italian design house, Pininfarina, which Mahindra and Mahindra bought not so long ago. No wonder they have dropped the third world look in many cases and have leaned toward a more European flavour.

What might be missing in this electrifying age we live in apart from bad puns?

You got it, an electric car. Watch out Tesla, as M & M is ready to spring the E2O Plus on an unsuspecting world. Cute in an ugly puppy kind of way, but Mahindra and Mahindra hope to make this as ubiquitous on the Indian roads as that country's sacred cows.

So there you have it, almost all you wanted to know about this Indian conglomerate, Mahindra and Mahindra. A home country powerhouse who in the very near future will have a name that is equally as well known on this side of the Atlantic and Pacific.

Until next time......