TOPLESS HOPE

Here's revisiting an idea whose time never came

- Kartik Ware

A church is an idea older than a convertible, but there's no contest as to which is more fun to be in. And how about this once upon a time (1998), someone had the idea of making a small convertible in India, with the complete vehicle assembled in Bangalore, and a fibreglass body made in the land of churches (among other things). A convertible tub made in Goa? Isn't that one of the aptest automotive expressions possible in India? However, history bears permanent witness to that noble idea's notable (and improperly discreet) demise. Thankfully, that doesn't mean that some people can't see it for what it is. Like Uttam Arwade and his son Arhan Arwade, in this instance.

I myself came to know that the San Storm was partially made in Goa only in late 2024 when we were planning this Goa Special. This was despite having fawned over it as a youngling far too long ago; you see, the Information Age had eluded my attention since the Storm was conceived and long after it had ceased to exist. And yet, less than six degrees of WhatsAppmessage separation was what led to the Arwades to drive their recently acquired San Storm from Belgaum to Goa to make this story happen. Irony, for all its scale and relevance, is also bound by time, it seems.

Now, something I haven't done since I've had access to the Internet (20-odd years) is look up the San Motors website, and you know what - it's still active! I don't know how that's possible, but here's something I've literally copy-pasted from it: