6+3=9 and so is 5+4. It’s all about perspective. Some might say it is the car from the famous show Mr Bean that used to topple every now and then. Others will say its Sipani Badal. Well, both are correct. SAIL or the Sunrise Automobile Industries Ltd was set up in 1973 after obtaining a licence to manufacture cars. The company tied up with the British car company named Reliant. This is why the SAIL Badal has a striking resemblance to the Reliant Robin, the blue, 3-wheeler car in Mr Bean show. Let’s have a look at the lost piece of history.
SAIL Badal – A Unique Look
Badal was launched by the Sunrise Automobile in 1976 as its first car. It was a 3-wheeled, 3-door design. 2 doors on the passenger side and one on the driver side. It was a space-sufficient car that can seat around 3-4 people easily.
Powering the different-approach car was Innocenti sourced 198cc two-stroke engine. If you have heard about the company, don’t be confused as Innocenti was the company to introduce Lambretta to the world. The rear-mounted engine was capable of producing around 12hp of power.
As for the interior, the car had a steering wheel, door handles a dashboard, normal seats and dial gauges. Well, I know nothing interesting here, but the truth is the truth. This was all.
But the 3-wheel set up was an interesting one. As the whole vehicle rested on the front wheel while turning, it was really necessary for the driver to take extra precaution or the Badal would topple like the Robin in Mr Bean.
Reception and Sales of Badal
The Badal was not able to take off in the market. The company was able to sell 179 units in 1977, whereas the demand increased to 331 units in the next year. By the following year, the demand fell to a mere 104 Badals. By 1981, only 51 were sold and the next year, 31. The car did feature in a Bollywood movie ‘Ram Balram’ though. But still, Badal was not able to lure in a lot of customers.
Thus the company had to discontinue the Badal and re-release a 4-wheel version of the car named Sipani Dolphin, a car that made a name in the rally racing. We’ll talk about it someday later.
A fun read: 10 Super UNUSUAL Cars that ever existed in India
Reason of Failure
Firstly, the Government of India allowed the company to sell the car in the southern region only. Which means that the north part of India was never able to get its hands on the car.
The second reason might be the quirky design as the Indian customers were not very well versed at that time with the automobiles of the world. It was cheap, fairly powered and unique. But sometimes you need to call it a day *SIGHS*.
The third reason is competition. Maruti 800 was launched in 1983. The whole of India wanted the car. Badal was standing there watching people choose the new car over it. The sight would have been devastating.
But sometimes being unique is not the only thing you need to have. The Indian audience wanted a more robust and powerful car, both of which a fibreglass bodied car was not able to offer.
Have a look: Sipani Automobiles | There was an attempt
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I want a badal car
Hi Hemesh,
Sipani Badal is a rare car and finding one is a miracle in itself. You can still approach second-hand car dealers, restorers or scrap yards and try your luck! Stay tuned.
The blue Reliant seen in Mr Bean is a Reliant Regal Supervan, not a Robin.
Mr Beans car was a Reliant Regal not a Robin.