Mumbai, Sept 20: The world's first gold jewellery car was unveiled in Mumbai on Monday as a tribute to 5,000 years of Indian jewellery-making.
Thirty craftsmen were involved in the creation of the car using 80 kilograms of 22 carat gold, 15 kilograms of silver and assorted gemstones.
Jewellery-making techniques, including intricate filigree work, delicate and colourful meenakari work, were incorporated into the design.
Bhaskar Bhatt, managing director of Titan industries, said: “As of now it's not meant for sale. It's only meant to travel around to showcase the Indian karigars' (craftsmen's) expertise, and perhaps they are the most exploited in this business.”
The Tata Nano car, on which this car is based, may be one of India's cheapest cars, but the gold version is said to be worth 220 (m) million rupees (4.6 (m) million US dollars).
The golden Nano will be kept by the Tata Group as a marketing tool to boost sagging sales of the super-cheap small car.
The Nano was meant to herald a new era of car-making in which even the poor could afford to trade motorbikes for a safe car.
But the Nano's initial momentum faded after two new Nanos caught fire, raising safety questions.
The company says the incidents were unrelated and revealed no safety design flaws.
Nevertheless, sales of the Tata Nano have plunged to an all-time low, with only 1,202 units sold during August this year, according to Tata Motors company figures. AP
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