Royal Enfield Motorcycles is considered to be the oldest automobile brand in continuous production in the world. The iconic brand with a rich British legacy has sustained over 120 years of being famous, relevant and elusive. The company would make very strong motorcycles in the early 1900s and were subsequently used during World War 1 & 2.
Around that time, the company moved a huge part of its assembly line to India, at the erstwhile Madras Presidency, since the country was an important base during the Second World War. The war ended, the British left the country and the brand was acquired by an Indian Entrepreneur. The family-led business Management continued production and sales but the numbers were dwindling.
At a point in time, the 100-150 kg weighing bikes were owned only by the rich, mighty and the powerful. It was not just a status symbol but a sense of ownership which prevailed during the 1960s – 1980s. However, with the entry of Japanese branded motorcycles after 1991 – Suzuki, Honda & Kawasaki, Royal Enfield started losing sheen.
From being elusive, the Brand almost went irrelevant by the end of 1990s when Eicher Motors acquired the Brand and its assets from the previous owners. Enter Siddharth Lal, the scion of the Eicher family who preferred to stay away from the glare and gleam of the Head Office in Delhi.
Over the next few years, he would tinker around the product with Engineers and workmen likewise at the company’s original factory on the outskirts of Chennai, at Thiruvottiyur. After several iterations and with the guidance of the learned and noble men, the company launched, rather relaunched the iconic Classic 350 motorcycle followed by the Thunderbird 350.
The two models were a range around the turn of the century and order books started piling up. From under 100 dealership outlets all India, there was a waiting list of potential dealers wanting to take a franchise of the Brand. Owning a Royal Enfield was one, but having a Dealership was a high by 2012-2015. From Shah Rukh Khan to Kamal Hassan, every top Hero in Indian Cinema featured the Brand in their movies – a direct promotion for the Brand without having to pay a penny!
The company reached 1,000 store-mark by 2018, 2 years ahead of its plan. Today, it is one of the most respected players in its segment worldwide. The exit of Harley Davidson Motorcycles from India in 2020 was a testimony that Royal Enfield was not just a Made in India motorcycle but was / is also one that is Made For India and the World.
In 2022, the company pulled yet another surprise by announcing a scale model available for pre-bookings. Ever since, auto enthusiasts and fans of the Brand have gone on an overdrive placing orders of their choice. One of the first masterpieces were sent to noted auto journalist Mr. Adil Jal Darukhanawala. The videos here show the unveiling (rather unboxing) of the magical motorcycle replica.
This precisely built collectible weighs 8.5 kg & is scaled to 1:3 ratio. LBH- 2.5 ft x 1.25 ft x 0.85 ft / LBH- 780 X 380 X 261 mm. The company proudly says on their website “This collectible reflects our process of craftsmanship. Our miniature has been handcrafted from more than 250 individual parts, each of which has been painstakingly assembled with the utmost attention to detail.”
Here’s wishing great success to the replica, just the way the Brand has woven magic with its real life Motorcycles.
PS: the above videos are being widely circulated via social media and hence we have taken the liberty to share the excitement of Mr. Darukhanawala along with the excitement of fans & followers alike.
