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Ratan Tata's unique car collection
Interestingly, most of his cars are left-hand drive and it is said that he prefers cars the way they are specced at the country of origin and that he deals with the manufacturer directly instead of any dealership. Mr. Tata also seems to love convertibles and V8s.
Ratan Tata is one of the most respected industrialists in India. The former Chairman of Tata Group is known to be one of the most humble people in the automotive industry and is credited with bringing cars like the Nano and the Indica to life. Mr. Tata is a passionate automotive enthusiast and owns a variety of cars. He does not change his cars often and his collection ranges from an exotic Ferrari to a humble Nexon. Interestingly, most of his cars are left-hand drive and it is said that he prefers cars the way they are specced at the country of origin and that he deals with the manufacturer directly instead of any dealership. Mr. Tata also seems to love convertibles and V8s.
Although some of his cars are regularly driven, he has a collection of American classics that rarely come out. Along with the cars mentioned in this thread, Ratan Tata has also been seen being ferried in cars like the Honda Accord.
In his garage, Ratan Tata is said to have had a custom car cover made for every car, and all cars are connected to a trickle charger. He even has wooden tyre stops to prevent the car from accidentally hitting the wall while parking.
Ferrari California
The most famous car in Ratan Tata's garage. His Ferrari was the first California to land in India. The industrialist says that this is the most exhilarating car in his garage and turns heads wherever he takes it. He loves the sound of that V8.
Jaguar F-Type S
While the F-Type is a fantastic choice of sports car, I am not a huge fan of the choice of soft top colour on this car. The arrangement of the exhausts in pairs, spaced out further from the center indicates that this would be a V8-powered F-Type. The exhaust can make quite a racket in this car with pops, bangs and crackles. Not visible in the pictures, but this car is left hand drive too.
Maserati Quattroporte
A four-door sedan that every enthusiast loves to drive. The Quattroporte shared its engines with Ferrari. This fifth generation of the car came only with a Ferrari V8. Ratan Tata says that the suspension is softer than a Ferrari, but it's still an amazing car to drive. The car pictured above is said to be Tata's Maserati and has been occasionally spotted with the only 360 Modena in India, which belonged to Sachin Tendulkar.
Mercedes-Benz SL500
This is the fifth generation of the SL and comes with a 5.5L V8 engine. This SL500 also gets a '500' number plate, and happens to be LHD. Ratan Tata was quoted as saying that he thought it was terrific when he got it, but now the excitement has faded and it's just another car in his garage. He has been seen in it on multiple occasions, as it's hard to miss Mr. Tata cruising around in an eye-catching convertible like this.
Cadillac XLR
Another popular car in the garage is a two-seat roadster from the 2000s known for its power retractable hardtop, Bulgari designed interior instruments, head-up display, adaptive suspension and near 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. It was Cadillac's flagship model when unveiled in 2003. This is one of Ratan Tata's favourites due to its impressive acceleration, and he claims that the suspension of the car is stiff when compared to American standards.
Mercedes W124
This W124 has been impeccably maintained and looks factory-fresh. Clearly shows the passion he has for his cars. This one is said to be an E220. I am unsure if this W124 is still in the garage.
Honda Civic
Coming to a more regular daily-driver, this Civic would often shock people who saw it. Not because it was RNT in a Civic, but because quite often he'd be seen pulling up at 5-star hotels self-driving it! Being one of the enthusiasts top picks, Ratan Tata must have enjoyed that high-revving VTEC engine. A lot of top Tata execs were also given white Civics as company cars around this time.
Buick Skylark
This perfectly maintained Buick Skylark was imported in 1978 and was probably the first Skylark in the country. It came with a 5.0L V8. According to media reports, the car was later sold.
Tata Nexon
One of the newer Tata cars in the garage is one of the safest cars on sale in the country. The Nexon was the first Indian car to get a 5 star safety rating from GNCAP. Tata's Nexon is a diesel variant.
Tata Nano
Ratan Tata is well known for the part he played in the creation of the Nano. No surprise that this would be a must-have in his garage! The car might have been a marketing disaster, but no denying that it is one of the most intelligently designed cars India has ever seen.
Mercedes S-Class
Every successful businessman should have an S-Class. Ratan Tata says that after his sportscars, this "feels like butter and goes like a glider", as he claimed in this Autocar article. It is said that he has a W221 S350 CDI. This first S-Class picture is for representation only.
Land Rover Freelander
One of the few SUVs in his garage is the entry-level Land Rover, with rather distinctive red upholstery.
Tata Indigo Marina
Ratan Tata loves dogs and the added practicality of an estate meant that he used the car to take his dogs around. The backseat of his Marina was removed and a mattress was put in there for his dogs to sit on.
Chevrolet C4 Corvette convertible
He sure has taste. Of the many American classics that he owns, a C4 Corvette Convertible takes prime spot. The above picture is for representation only, as pictures of the actual car aren't available anywhere online. Oddly, online data shows a registration date of June 2019, and that's not the only strange thing about it. Earlier this year the Mumbai Police busted a lady for having the same registration number on her BMW.
Chrysler Sebring
The Sebring was a mid-size sedan by Chrysler and was sold between 1994 and 2010. It was replaced by the Chrysler 200. Ratan Tata claims that he loves the colour of the car and that is what inspired the colour of the Tata Indica that was showcased at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show. The car shown here is for representation only.
W211 E270 CDI
This is said to have been one of the most used cars in the garage, after the W124. This pic is for representation only.
Rolling back the clock to the '90s and early 2000s, Ratan Tata was often seen in a Maruti 800 and Esteem.
Along with his love for cars, Ratan Tata loves planes. He has a pilot's license and often flies his own planes.
Dassault Falcon 2000
The Falcon 2000 is a French business jet. Tata's jet has the registration number VT-TAT, and often flies the plane himself. There are a lot of car enthusiasts who own their own private jets, but not many fly them as well!
F-16
Taking his love for flying to the next level, Ratan Tata co-piloted an F-16 that belonged to the US Air Force during the 2007 airshow in Bangalore. With this, he became the oldest Indian to fly one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, at 69 years of age.
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