Timeless Mahindra by Adil Jal Darukhanawala: Book review

When veteran motoring journalist Adil Jal Darukhanawala writes a coffee table book, you can be sure it’s going to be the coffee table itself. Yet another enormous volume (that, by all means, is only the least of its virtues) from Adil is a compelling, awe-inspiring account of SUV-maker Mahindra’s rise from extremely humble beginnings to a global force to reckon with. Timeless Mahindra is a 332-page in-depth plunge into the world of Mahindra, a made-in-India automotive brand that instills a sense of pride and patriotic fervour among enthusiasts.

This collector’s item by Adil takes you on an invigorating journey through Mahindra’s early years, from assembling the very first Willys Jeep CJ-2A to manufacturing the CJ-3B, its pivotal role in giving the Indian Army a strategic edge and even its many adventurous motorsport escapades. The sheer depth of archival footage in this book (all meticulously captioned - an Adil trait) makes it a must-have if you’re big on automotive books, but the continuous flavour of nationalistic pride you will find in almost every chapter makes it a book for absolutely any Indian – even if you’ve never heard of the term 4x4 before!

It’s a 332-page in-depth plunge into the world of Mahindra.

The book also highlights what makes Mahindra a true leader responsible for putting India on the global automotive map – its enviable list of visionaries from within the Mahindra family and also from its corporate ranks. Editing a book as multifaceted as the brand it honours couldn’t have been an easy task, more so considering it’s been curated in less than a year, and Adil typically impresses, even going on to incorporate some characteristically tongue-in-cheek illustrations of the the ubiquitous Indian jeep! All said, Timeless Mahindra is as much a visual treat as it is an automotive indulgence and, undoubtedly, is a hardbound book-equivalent of a Mahindra museum. Order your copy soon (price: Rs 5,400 inclusive of shipping) and be nice to the mailman for all the heavy lifting he’s going to have to do!