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MAN AND MACHINE
Who says the Dolphin is extinct?
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Dr Suresh Rau and his 1985 example prove that Sipani's maverick machine is, after all, a practical proposition
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BRIT CONNECTION The Dolphin has its roots in the Reliant Motor Company, England — note the 'R' on the boss of the sporty, deep-dished three spoke steering wheel
A rule of thumb, for armchair appraisers. "Something can be considered valuable if its upkeep doesn't soak up thick wads of currency, it withstands wear and tear and gives you what you are looking for. If these three conditions are met, it doesn't matter what people think of the product." A word of caution: This is armchair thinking and as such, can't be counted upon in every situation. Dr Suresh Rau, however, has a good reason to swear by this maxim — and the reason is his 1985 Sipani Dolphin.
By the doctor's own admission, "This car would amount to just the cost of a logo of an imported car and it has been disparagingly called a plastic bucket by people close to me."
But the senior dental surgeon has been commuting in this "plastic bucket" for 21 years and not once has there been a delay in attending to his patients on account of the Dolphin. Rau says he has never had to lay hands on the four-cylinder power-pack that is based on a surprisingly smooth and efficient design from an erstwhile British company. The Dolphin subsists on measly measures. Because of its fibreglass body, it requires just the minimum quantity of paint for a facelift. "A paint job cost me just Rs. 1,000."
The fibreglass body is the Dolphin's main strength. Because of this material, it still remains a stranger to rust and corrosion. All promotional literature on the Dolphin printed by the maverick, Bangalore-based Sipani Automobiles Limited (which manufactured Dophins in technical collaboration with Reliant Motor Company of the United Kingdom) allocated a good number of columns for driving home the fibreglass advantage. "Fibreglass is thrice more impact-resistant than sheet metal. On impact, fibreglass does not buckle and leave jagged edges that injure the occupants. The damage is localised. Fibreglass is lighter, which means better fuel-efficiency and less wear and tear of parts". Dr Rau's usual line to questions about the sturdiness of the artificial teeth he fits — "they are as impact-resistant as fibreglass."
The Dophin is a two-door and the bucket seat next to the driver has to be lifted for access to the rear seat. This feature appealed very much to the doctor, because it ruled out concerns about safe locking when his children travelled with him. His children are now grown up, but Dr Rau is still using the Dolphin everyday as a Point A to B machine, because of "its turning circle, which is only 24 feet, and size, 3,327 mm in overall length and 1,422 mm in width."
These two factors mean that "my Dolphin smoothly enters and moves out of tight spaces."
PRINCE FREDERICK
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