Opinion: why Indian special edition cars should tell stories

“People are shocked when they learn that the family had two legendary people, Battista and Nino, and so we wanted to tell this untold story to the world.” That was Dave Amantea, Automobili Pininfarina’s design boss, talking to me about the special edition Battista, the Edizione Nino Farina. It was built to celebrate a family legacy – the first-ever F1 world champion, Nino Farina, who is also the nephew of Pininfarina’s founder Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina.

I knew who the first F1 world champion was, but I didn’t realise the relation to the founder of Pininfarina. What a lovely story indeed, and that got me thinking: why don’t Indian special editions tell stories? 

Sure, we’ve had special edition cars in India, but nearly all of them were simply cars with added accessories, monogrammed pillows and other tidbits. In some cases, there’s a special paint slapped on too, but they don’t tell a story. Nor do they represent significant tie-ups, like the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi Edition, which had its interiors trimmed by fashion house Fendi. The last significant tie-up I remember was the Sachin Tendulkar Fiat Palio S10.   

We really need mega tie-ups and special editions that celebrate legacies; we have such wonderful ones to commemorate. I would love to see Tata Motors do a luxury Taj edition of the Safari. Plusher upholstery and interiors designed with motifs replicating or inspired by the designs in the rooms of the Taj Palace, Mumbai would be simply gorgeous. It could have an air freshener with the same signature Citronella or Jasmine scent I think Taj uses at all its properties. And heck, now you could have monogrammed pillows!

Once the new Air India is up and flying, how about a collaboration with the airline with their interior colour scheme and aviation-inspired dials and air vents? And did you know, the Tata Group owns the luxury watch brand Favre Leuba? A dashboard clock, perhaps?  

In two years, Mahindra will celebrate 80 years of existence, so how about an edition celebrating that milestone? And it’s not just Indian companies that can tell local stories. In 1985, Ravi Shastri famously won an Audi 100 at the World Championship of Cricket. Audi, how about a special edition celebrating that? Released in 2025 with the same body colour, special cricket logos and of course, Shastri’s signature too. There are many ideas floating around in my head, far too many for the length of this column, but I am open to consultation. But perhaps not all have merit, so I’ll just leave this here and hope it has sown a few seeds in the brilliant and creative minds of the Boses and Uhlariks of our world to tell some great stories. Because people love stories and we have plenty to tell.

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